What we can do for controlling DHF is control the vector, namely preventing the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito
Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - The Health Office of Bali Province recorded that 2,469 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) were found in the first three months of 2023, with a downward trend in cases.

“In general, at the province (level), actually from January to March, there has been a decline but, indeed, several districts experienced an increase,” the office’s Head of Disease Handling Section I Nyoman Sudiyasa remarked here on Friday.

The downward trend in cases of DHF is apparent from the overall figures, with 939 cases, with three deaths in January; 820 cases, with one death in February; and 710 cases, with one death in March.

Based on the office's data, of the 2,469 cases recorded, Denpasar City contributed the highest number, at 781, while Bangli registered the lowest case count at 67.

Nevertheless, despite Denpasar being the biggest contributor, a downward trend in cases was recorded, from 296 cases in January to 255 cases in February and 230 cases in March.

Meanwhile, in Bangli, an increase was recorded, from 17 cases in January and 17 cases in February to 33 cases in March.

He noted that this condition mostly arose due to seasonal factors. Nevertheless, the community’s awareness of the mosquito nest eradication (PSN) movement is also deemed crucial.

"We know that there is no cure for DHF. There is no vaccine that is recommended to prevent DHF. What we can do for controlling DHF is control the vector, namely preventing the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito," he remarked.

Apart from the prevention efforts, he explained that the decline in cases in those three months was also accompanied by on-field epidemiological investigation.

"We (work) in the field to make sure where the patient got infected, whether at home or places where they carry out activities, such as schools or offices. The recommendation will be fogging or suffice with PSN only," he remarked.

If the recommendation showed that mosquito fogging should be conducted, then it will be carried out at focused locations, with a radius of 100-200 meters.

"Yet, without forgetting the PSN because it (fogging) only kills adult mosquitos, though the larvae are not dead," he pointed out.

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Translator: Ni Putu Putri, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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