As of Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, there had been a total of 921 cases of which 769 were on Yap Island, 75on Ulithi Atoll, 73 on Fais Island, 2 on Eauripik Island and 2 on Woleai Atoll.
A total of 163 patients in critical conditions had been admitted to the state hospital. So far, 2 deaths had been reported as a result of the dengue type 2 virus.
The symptoms of dengue are high fever, body ache, joint pain, and sometimes pain behind the eyes, diarrhea and vomiting. As of this announcement, any outpatient testing and treatment for suspected dengue cases was free. Anyone with these symptoms is encouraged to seek medical attention as early as possible.
Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, especially the types of mosquitoes that breed around houses in small water containers, including: cans, cups, tires, and other vessels that catch water.
The best way of preventing dengue is by eliminating breeding sites around houses. Cleaning up around your house can prevent infections.
You can also avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes by wearing long trousers and long sleeves, using insect repellant and insect coils. This is especially important in the early morning and around sunset when this type of mosquito likes to bite — but do not forget that they can bite at any time during the day.
