Good news: Dengue fever cases drop in Dar

New cases of dengue fever reported in Dar es Salaam hospitals have dropped, according to the latest reports released yesterday.

According to the reports, some of the factors that have greatly contributed to the decrease in the number of patients are destruction of mosquito breeding areas, cleaning of the environment, spraying of passenger buses and the coming to an end of the rain season.

Speaking yesterday in separate interviews, Mwananyamala Regional Hospital chief medical officer Dr Faustine Ngonyani said that since the dengue fever was first reported the hospital has received and diagnosed a total of 308 patients whereby 135 among them were found to be positive.

Generally, not less than five patients were admitted every day, he said.
“We have not received new cases for the past two days. This is an indication that people have adhered to protection measures including cleaning their surroundings. Thanks to the media for the job well done in educating the society,” he said.

Chief Medical Officer of Temeke Regional Hospital Dr Joyce Msumba said the number of new cases has dropped, saying that the hospital used to admit up to 20 patients a day but now they have only three patients.On Wednesday and yesterday the hospital received eight patients but only four were admitted and the rest were treated and discharged.

According to Dr Msumba since the fever broke out, a total of 163 were found to be positive.

“Dengue fever is about to disappear because the rains have ended and people are out to clean the environment,” Dr Msumba said.

At Amana Regional Hospital only one patient was admitted. The Chief Medical Officer, Andrew Method called on Dar es Salaam residents to continue cleaning the environment so as to destroy the mosquito breeding areas.

He advised the residents to rush to hospital whenever they suspect dengue fever symptoms.

For his part, Health and Social Welfare ministry spokesperson Nsachris Mwamwaja said the government will continue to educate the public through the media on how they can protect themselves against the disease.

According to Mwamaja no dengue fever cases have been reported in other regions save in Mbeya where only one person was diagnosed positive with the viral disease. He said the patient was treated and discharged.

Dengue fever was first recorded in the country in 2010 whereby about 40 people were diagnosed with the disease.

In mid-2013, 172 people were diagnosed with the disease, while more than 400 people have been diagnosed with the disease since it was again reported in Dar es Salaam in early February this year.

Last month the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) identified areas to conduct research on the viral disease in each district, as the government allocated 500m/- in an effort to combat the disease.

To ensure the disease doesn’t spread to other regions, the Tanzania Bus Owners Association (TABOA) last month sprayed over 500 passenger upcountry bound buses.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN