Dengue - Preventing dengue
- Introduction
- Symptoms of dengue
- Causes of dengue
- Treating dengue
- Complications of dengue
- Preventing dengue
- 'I wouldn't want to repeat the experience of having dengue'
- Diagnosis
There is no vaccine to prevent dengue. The best way to prevent getting the disease is to avoid being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Avoid being bitten by a mosquito by:
- using insect repellent to avoid being bitten, especially around dawn and dusk – products containing N-diethylmetatoluamide (DEET) are effective, but products containing this ingredient should not be used in babies younger than two months and in lower concentrations in younger children (20-30% DEET)
- wearing loose-fitting but protective clothing – mosquitoes are able to bite through tight-fitting clothes; trousers, long-sleeved shirts, and socks and shoes (not sandals) are ideal
- sleeping under a mosquito net to avoid being bitten at night
- be aware of your environment – mosquitoes that cause dengue breed in standing water in crowded urban environments; this can range from communal toilets to water that gathers inside a stack of old tyres
Read more about preventing insect bites.
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