What to do to keep the whole family healthy during the holidays during a dengue fever epidemic?

The Ministry of Health recommends staying home during the holidays. To avoid getting dengue fever, you should wash your hands frequently with soap and kill mosquito larvae weekly.

The Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, recommends that people pay attention to the following ways to protect their health and their families' health during the September 2 holiday:

Be careful with alcohol

- Do not abuse alcohol and other alcoholic drinks. If you drink, limit yourself to less than two units of alcohol per day for men and less than one unit of alcohol per day for women, and do not drink more than five days a week.

- Do not drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery after drinking alcohol.

- Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people taking medications that react with alcohol, or people with medical conditions that are aggravated by alcohol should absolutely not use alcohol or other alcoholic beverages.

One unit of alcohol is equivalent to three-quarters of a 330 ml bottle or can of beer (5%); one 330 ml glass of draft beer; one 100 ml glass of wine (13.5%); or one 30 ml shot of spirits (40%).

Shining a light to find mosquito larvae nests. Photo: MQ

Prevention of dengue fever and infectious diseases

- Wash hands regularly with soap or antiseptic solution (for both adults and children), especially before preparing food, before eating, before holding or feeding children, after going to the toilet, after changing diapers and cleaning children...

- Eat cooked food, drink boiled water, use clean water for eating and drinking and daily activities.

- Only use food of clear origin; do not eat meat and products from sick or dead livestock or poultry.

- Do not spoon-feed children; do not let children eat with their hands, suck their fingers, or suck on unsterilized toys.

- Do not share personal items such as toothbrushes, napkins, handkerchiefs...

- Keep your house clean and airy; sleep under mosquito nets to prevent mosquito bites even during the day.

- Weekly kill mosquito larvae by releasing fish into large water containers; wash medium and small water containers, turn over containers that do not contain water; change the water in flower vases; put salt or oil in bowls of water placed under the cupboard. Regularly remove waste materials and natural water holes that do not allow mosquitoes to lay eggs such as bottles, jars, broken glass, coconut shells, broken jars, old tires, bamboo holes, leaf sheaths, etc.

- When there are signs of suspected infectious disease, go immediately to a medical facility for examination and guidance.

- For those returning to their hometown or traveling, it is necessary to proactively seek information about the epidemic situation at the destination to proactively prevent epidemics and diseases.

Recommendations for preventing dengue fever

According to VNE