Urbanco launches awareness campaign on Filariasis
After entering the body, the parasites that cause Filariasis takes about 8-12 months to cause symptoms.
Urbanco has launched an awareness campaign to identify and eradicate mosquito breeding grounds under the name of 'Filaria-in Rakka’ to control the spread of the disease.
Cases of the eradicated Filariasis were found in Kulhudhuffushi in the middle of this month during a screening camp conducted for foreign workers in the island.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has started testing for Filariasis in other parts of the country on the advice of the WHO.
Last weekend, seven foreign workers were found infected in Male, Hulhumale and Gulhifalhu during testing for Filariasis in the Male area.
Urbanco's efforts to control the spread of Filariasis include the awareness campaign to identify and eradicate mosquito breeding grounds.
According to Urbanco, in the campaign:
-
Mosquito breeding grounds will be identified in 12 zones
-
A major clean-up drive will be launched in the 12 zones involving residents, school children and civil employees
-
Survey work will be conducted throughout Hulhumale
“Urbanco wishes as many people as possible to participate in these activities and work together to eliminate these mosquito breeding grounds,” the company said.
Filariasis is commonly spread by the Culex mosquito that lives in dirty water. This type of mosquito is also found in Maldives. However, Filariasis is not so easily spread. Filariasis is most often spread through the bite of an infected mosquito with a parasitic worm called Wuchereria bancrofti. The mosquito acts as a medium that transmits the disease from an infected person to a clean one.
The HPA has also advised people to avoid mosquito bites and destroy mosquito breeding grounds to prevent the disease.
In addition to removing mosquito breeding grounds, Urbanco is also working to control the spread of the disease. Thus:
-
On Friday, the HPA and the Maldivian Red Crescent conducted a health screening for foreigners living in Hulhumale
-
Random sampling was conducted on Saturday including locations; Thilafushi, Gulhifalhu and Hulhumale
-
Awareness sessions will be conducted for employees of schools, government and private companies and institutions from Tuesday onwards
After entering the body, the parasites that cause Filariasis takes about 8-12 months to cause symptoms, taking time to multiply and multiply in the body before showing. The treatment for filariasis is two medicines that are administered once.
The first symptoms include:
-
Fever; at this stage, there might not be any swelling
-
Chills
-
Headache
-
Vomiting
-
Anxiety
-
Prolonged infection in the body causes symptoms such as swelling of the hands, feet and other organs and thickening of the skin
The last case of filariasis was reported in 2004 in L. Fonadhoo. The survey conducted since 2008 has not found any new cases of filariasis, the Health Ministry said.
A WHO team visited Maldives in 2011 to ensure that filariasis was eradicated. The disease was declared eradicated in Maldives in 2016.
