Sanitation drive, disease awareness campaign conducted in Vizag

The onset of monsoon has witnessed an outbreak of seasonal diseases in the region with Vizag seeing a spurt in the cases of dengue, malaria and viral fevers. In its attempt to combat the same, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) conducted a special sanitation drive and awareness campaign on seasonal diseases in Vizag on Tuesday.

While surveillance against seasonal diseases was conducted at GVMC Wards 52 and 57 of Zone V, a special sanitation drive was held at Riksha Colony and Pratapnagar of GVMC Ward 4, Zone I.

The GVMC also organised a rally for Swachh Survekshan across different wards in the city to raise awareness on the importance of maintaining hygiene.

With the cases of dengue and other viral fevers on the rise, it is advised to take the necessary precautions to stay safe from the disease. Here are a few symptoms and precautions that need to be taken to safeguard oneself from dengue.

Symptoms and diagnosis of dengue

Symptoms of dengue fever usually begin to show up 3 to 14 days after the patient has been infected. Following are characteristic in a person infected with dengue:

#1 Fever
#2 Pain in abdomen, joints, and muscles
#3 Fatigue
#4 Loss of appetite
#5 Nausea

Early diagnosis of the disease includes a thorough blood test and checking the blood pressure. The White Blood Cells (WBC) count, and blood platelet levels are usually seen to be low in the test. Blood pressure is also found to be dangerously low.

Prevention of dengue

Prevention is better than cure and once, the symptoms of dengue fever are known, it becomes easy to avoid. Following are a few steps that can be taken to prevent cases of dengue fever:

#1 Remove stagnant water from the neighbourhood.
#2 Use mosquito repellents like camphor and lavender oil.
#3 Pay close attention to personal hygiene.
#4 Put mosquito netting while sleeping.
#5 Eat at regularly-inspected places and follow a balanced diet.
#6 Spray pesticides in and around the house.