With the number of dengue fever cases in Tainan having passed the 15,000 mark, after Typhoon Dujuan a number of local residents are concerned that there may be mosquito larvae growing in the rainwater, which may exacerbate the epidemic and lead to a sharp increase in the number of cases. Some communities have tipped rock salt into drains and ditches, while others have distributed free anti-mosquito hats and improvized mosquito repellent to deter the mosquitoes. However, mosquito expert Chen Chin-sheng says the best form of deterrent is to tidy up the environment. It is well known that the breeding source for dengue fever is water containers, says Chen. If proper cleaning is carried out, then mosquitoes will not mature into adults. Just as Sun Tzu’s The Art of War states: “Subduing the enemy without fighting is the highest form of generalship,” says Chen.
A community in the north of Tainan has distributed improvized mosquito repellent and vanilla bean paste to deter mosquitoes, however Chen believes preventing a dengue fever epidemic does not have to be that difficult. Chen says the spread of dengue fever in Taiwan mainly comes from the yellow fever mosquito and Asian tiger mosquito. Since mosquitoes like to lay their eggs in water containers, there only needs to be a thorough purge of these items and the battle can be won without a fight.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Edward Jones)
台南登革熱突破一萬五千例，部分民眾擔心颱風過後有雨水滋養孑孓，疫情可能會加劇，未來幾天病例會急速增加，有社區投粗鹽到水溝內，也有社區贈送自製防蚊液、防蚊帽來防蚊，不過蚊子專家陳錦生說，最好的方法還是清除環境，登革熱的孳生源很清楚，就是積水容器，若能做好清潔蚊子根本不會成蟲，如同孫子兵法說的「不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也」。
Photo: CNA
照片：中央社
台南市北區有社區自製防蚊液、香草膏分送民眾防蚊，但是陳錦生認為，登革熱防疫其實沒有這麼困難，台南流行的登革熱主要是由埃及斑蚊、白線斑蚊引起，蚊子喜歡在積水容器內產卵，只要做好清除就可以不戰而勝。
(自由時報記者王捷)
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