The health department on Monday released an advisory, in which it requested residents of  Chandigarh to follow precautionary measures with regard to dengue, chikungunya, and malaria.

Dr Vikas Bhutani, an internal medicine specialist, said that the most common symptom of dengue was fever with any of the additional symptoms — nausea/vomiting, rash, aches, and pains (eye pain, typically behind the eyes, headache, muscle, joint, or bone pain) or bleeding from a place and a drop in platelet count in many cases. Symptoms of dengue typically last from two to seven days, with most people recovering in about a week.

Bhutani added that there was no specific medication to treat dengue. “We recommend as much rest as possible and taking acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) to control fever and relieve pain. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen. Drink plenty of fluids such as water or drinks with added electrolytes to stay hydrated. Monitor platelet counts daily and be in touch with your treating doctor/hospital in case platelets drop to 10000 or less,” added Bhutani.

In case of fever, stomach pain, vomiting, or bleeding from the nose or gums, the doctor advised residents to report to the nearest health facility. Elisa test is the recommended diagnostic test for dengue. Free dengue testing facilities are available at PGI Department of Virology, GMCH-32 Department of Microbiology, GMSH-16 Department of Microbiology, CH-Manimajra, 22, and CH-45. The Health Department’s dengue helpline number is 7626002026.

Precautions

Keep all the water containers etc. properly covered. Dry all the desert coolers and containers. Add two tablespoons of petrol/kerosene oil in containers that are uncovered or are improperly covered. Use mosquito repellents on exposed parts during the daytime to prevent mosquito bites. Wear full-sleeved clothes and long dresses/trousers that cover arms and legs, especially during the epidemic season to prevent mosquito bites. Use mesh doors/windows, mosquito coils, vapour mats etc. to keep mosquitoes away. Use bed nets even during the daytime, especially for infants and small children. Protect dengue patients from mosquito bites by any of the above methods. Aedes aegypti , the vector mosquito, breeds primarily in man-made containers like earthenware jars, flower vases, metal drums and concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage, choked roof gutters, gully traps, discarded plastic food containers, used automobile tyres, coolers and other items that collect rainwater.