Fighting the dengue scare

By Herbert Vego

OUR hospitals today burst at the seams with cases of confined dengue patients. This viral disease – characterized by high fever, aches, skin rashes, muscle and bone pain – stems from bites of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. It could be fatal when ignored.

The local governments of both the city and province of Iloilo have declared a “state of calamity” aimed at containing the present outbreak by buying misting machines that spray insecticides to control mosquitoes around homes and buildings.

The good news, however, is that the chance of survival for the already dengue-infected outweighs mortality.  In the province of Iloilo, of the 5, 836 cases reported in the first eight months of this year (January to August), only 10 have died.

In Iloilo City, of the 6,816 cases in the same period, 17 have died.

Health authorities tell us that there is no approved medicine for dengue.  But knowing its cause is good enough to defeat the disease.

Our basic knowledge is that the dengue virus depletes the victim’s platelets, which are large cells produced in the bone marrow that slow down or stop bleeding. Whenever a victim’s platelet count drops “inadequate” or below 10,000 platelets per microliter, it may cause fatal bleeding.

This explains why hospitals require platelet transfusion for serious dengue patients. Based on research done at Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (Silver Spring, Maryland) and the University of Copenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark), a strong immune system is our best defense against dengue.

I would like to believe it.  At age 74, I have never caught dengue.

According to what I have read on the immune system, by the time a baby turns one year old, he or she would have developed nearly a trillion different antibacterial and antiviral agents in his body to protect him from diseases. Antibodies recognize and trap bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Once these foreign substances are “tagged,” our body’s “killer cells” can easily destroy them. If the child retains them into adulthood, he remains protected.

As we age, our immune system takes longer to react to attacks. That slow reaction time allows germs to break through and invade our cells.

Given that reality, why have our Department of Health (DOH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not paid attention to development of herbal medicines that have reputedly done wonders to boost platelet count without need for hospitalization?

In the wake of the Dengvaxia vaccine fiasco that cost the DOH P3.5 billion pesos, we are still looking for medicinal solutions that may be available but are not FDA-approved.

According to a review published in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, extracts and compounds from medicinal plants have “antiviral properties” which may present an inexpensive cure for dengue. Among them are teas made from the leaves of papaya and “tawa-tawa” (Euphorbia hirta) herb, which contain platelet-activating properties.

If my informant was correct, a local laboratory has applied and obtained FDA-approval of tawa-tawa but only as a food supplement, hence could not be prescribed by doctors for dengue.

As to why, there could be millions of reasons.

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ENERGY SAFETY TIPS DURING TYPHOON

HERE are some tips from MORE Power, distribution utility in Iloilo City,  on how to deal with power outages during a typhoon:

“There could occur power outages due to strong winds, falling trees, and damage to power lines. Our dedicated team will be working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible, once it is safe to do so. However, restoration time may vary depending on the severity of the typhoon and the situation, as we prioritize the safety of our line warriors.

“If you experience a power outage, please report it immediately to our 24/7 customer service helpline at 330-667 or send us a direct message through our Facebook messenger MORE Power.

“Be ready to provide your address and any relevant details to assist our teams in locating and addressing the issue promptly.”