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micnsu

Feb 28, 2012, 1:03 PM

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Dengue in Yucatan

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I've heard on other Mexico/Yucatan forums that Dengue Fever has been pretty bad this year, especially in Merida. Our family is going to be staying in the Yucatan for 2-3 months and would really like to avoid dengue plagued areas if possible. Our children and I are mosquito magnets and I'd rather not have to fight with mosquitoes the entire time, hoping they don't bite/infect us.

Any suggestions on areas not affected by Dengue? We're open to anywhere that's a reasonable (less than 1 day) bus trip from Cancun. OR if there's a great place that's longer than a day's drive, what would be a good stopping place to break up the trip?

Thanks!

(This post was edited by tonyburton on Feb 28, 2012, 1:28 PM)

Rolly

Feb 28, 2012, 2:02 PM

Post #2 of 15 (4937 views)

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Re: [micnsu] Dengue in Yucatan

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Dengue is a problem from time to time in most parts of the country, even on the desert where I live.

Rolly Pirate

YucaLandia

Feb 28, 2012, 5:40 PM

Post #3 of 15 (4915 views)

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Re: [micnsu] Dengue in Yucatan

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To put the Dengue risks into perspective, around 2,000 - 3,000 Yucatecans have tested positive for Dengue in past years out of roughly 2 million Yucatecans. This implies a roughly 1 in 1000 chance of getting Dengue during a year for a year round resident.

We had a recent spike of Dengue cases in late January and early February on the heels of some regular rainfall in January.
Most people that get a Dengue infection show either no symptoms or mild flu symptoms.

The numbers of mosquitoes here are now actually quite low, due to our dry season starting. There have been no good rains for the past 4 weeks, which means the mosquito breeding grounds in the cities have mostly dried up. During peak times, I find and kill 30 - 50 mosquitoes per morning on our patio. Now, I find 3-5. I haven't seen any in public places lately.

With that spike of Dengue cases in January, Yucatan's government restarted mosquito breeding ground clean-up efforts, and restarted daily mosquito fogging with Aqua Reslin - which should reduce near future Dengue risks. We are also entering the dry season now - which usually means several months without rain - until mid June - and without fresh rain water to breed in, the numbers of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes drop and the numbers of Dengue cases usually fall dramatically by late March - typically continuing with only small numbers of Dengue infections between April and July.

With the start of rainy season, typically Dengue cases start to rise again in July and increase through the rainy season.

If you plan to visit her next August - January, then the Dengue risks may be back at that 1:1000 level again(?).

If you visit between now and August, the Dengue risks should be even lower.

Since only one type of mosquito transmits Dengue here, the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the risk of being bitten comes mostly in the morning, with them biting around the feet and ankles. If you come here during our wet season, plan to stay indoors in the morning or to use repellent on your lower legs and feet or to wear socks and pants - especially in the morning .
Dr. Steven Fry
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Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.com

(This post was edited by YucaLandia on Feb 28, 2012, 5:43 PM)

micnsu

Feb 28, 2012, 5:46 PM

Post #4 of 15 (4907 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Dengue in Yucatan

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Thank you for the perspective. It does help to know that the dry season is coming. I grew up in South FL, so I'm too familiar with the horrible buzzing at night by my ears and having scars on my exposed skin from being several meals for mosquitoes.

Looks like we'll be in the Yucatan at just the right time...dry season. :o)

playaboy

Feb 28, 2012, 5:56 PM

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Re: [micnsu] Dengue in Yucatan

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Dengue in not fun. Use DEET. I also am a mosquito magnet and it is the only thing that works for me.

YucaLandia

Feb 28, 2012, 6:08 PM

Post #6 of 15 (4905 views)

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Re: [playaboy] Dengue in Yucatan

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Unlike Yucatan, Q. Roo has both Malaria** and Dengue, so, I add a hearty AMEN to Playaboy's DEET advice.

**I understand that Q.Roo's Malaria risks are quite low, but I have one friend who got Malaria while there.
Playaboy is from Q.Roo and is on top of things.
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Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.com

(This post was edited by YucaLandia on Feb 28, 2012, 6:16 PM)

tashby

Feb 28, 2012, 6:09 PM

Post #7 of 15 (4903 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Dengue in Yucatan

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Quote

During peak times, I find and kill 30 - 50 mosquitoes per morning on our patio.

Wow! I'd like to hear about that! How do you manage to find and kill 30-50 per morning? Are they waiting in a little hideout, or what?

(Sorry to intrude. Don't live in the Yucatan, but also suffer from mosquitoes when the local population explodes onto the scene. Always looking for new ways to suffer less. Thanks.)

YucaLandia

Feb 28, 2012, 6:26 PM

Post #8 of 15 (4893 views)

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Re: [tashby] Dengue in Yucatan

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Good Question!

About 4 years ago, I inadvertently set up a Mosquito Resort on our patio.

We got a dog, so I put the dog's water dish near our patio screen door. I also put out a length of fake grass carpet to wipe off the dogs feet. When the carpet got wet, I'd tent it up to dry out.

Since mosquitoes track us from a distance by following CO2 plumes from our breath, and they also sense water, the mosquitoes come in from our yard and neighboring property following the CO2 plumes wafting out our patio screen door, they then cluster around the dog's water dish and also land on the screen. The ones who are tired sleep in the folds of the tented partly folded fake grass rug.

So, set up a combination of an attractant, a place to drink and breed, a place to dine on the dog, and a place to sleep - and you too can have your own mosquito resort. Since mosquitoes are also attracted by our body odor, if you add a little dirty laundry to the mix, you'll entice more to your little Shangri.La.

I use a bug zapper racquet as a part of a daily morning crazed-ballet / tai-chi session dipping & spinning. Upward strokes are especially effective, because the fast-flying Aedes Aegypti tend to dart downward in their quick evasive flights.

Two swatting sessions per day pretty much clear out the whole yard for the rest of the day.
steve
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Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.com

(This post was edited by YucaLandia on Feb 28, 2012, 6:28 PM)

tashby

Feb 29, 2012, 1:43 PM

Post #9 of 15 (4829 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Dengue in Yucatan

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Wow. That's impressive. Not sure I'm willing to go to that length, but thanks.

sfmacaws

Feb 29, 2012, 7:59 PM

Post #10 of 15 (4799 views)

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Re: [micnsu] Dengue in Yucatan

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I came down with dengue on Dec 30th, the actual illness lasted about 8 days with fever, headache and joint pain. The recovery after that though was another 5 weeks before I felt normal. The problem is that your platelets are severely depleted and your immune system is compromised. I had several bacterial infections after the dengue, extreme lack of energy - I was tired all the time.

I think that the unusual amount of rain we had in the fall and early winter definitely contributed to an increase in the number of dengue cases. In addition, there were some political causes because the city stopped funding door to door cleanup as well as the spraying.

The number of mosquitos has plummeted finally with several weeks without rain and the cases of dengue have followed. If you are here during the rainy season it is important to use repellent especially on your lower legs. Use it every time you go out because the dengue carrying mosquito is active in the day as well as dusk and night. They are an urban mosquito and they like to hide under restaurant tables and chairs.

My problem has been that I no longer react much to their bites, I don't often notice them. So, it's hard to stay motivated to spray and use repellent. Believe me, I'm motivated now after getting dengue. I don't want it again.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

skier14

Mar 1, 2012, 1:28 AM

Post #11 of 15 (4778 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Dengue in Yucatan

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In the more than 8 years that I have been living in Mexico, I have never been bitten by a mosquito. I attribute my good fortune to my ingesting GARLIC on a regular basis and even GARLIC OIL CAPSULES daily. Good thing I like the taste.

lamur

Mar 15, 2012, 11:02 AM

Post #12 of 15 (4472 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Dengue in Yucatan

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Yucalandia....would you by any chance have a video of your "morning dance"? THAT I'd LOVE to see!!! LOL!!

Lamur

YucaLandia

Mar 16, 2012, 7:53 AM

Post #13 of 15 (4421 views)

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Re: [lamur] Dengue in Yucatan

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It's not a pretty sight...

pelon y panzón, no es guapito
;-}
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Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.com

Papirex

Mar 16, 2012, 1:45 PM

Post #14 of 15 (4390 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Dengue in Yucatan

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Jonna, old friend. I am sorry to learn of your recent illness.

There are a few cases of dengue fever everywhere, every year in México. Whenever you have “reporters” that are paid by the word, you will sometimes read that a very few scattered cases are an “epidemic.”

Even a very few cases are bad news if you are a victim. We get a very few cases of dengue every year here in Cuernavaca, mostly in the southern part of the city, or in the Municipio of Temixco, which abuts up against the southern city limits here.

A housekeeper we used to employ sometimes, lives in Temixco, and she had dengue a few years ago. My late wife called her, she wanted to visit her to see if there was anything she could do to help. The lady said NO! Do not come here, lots of people have dengue this year in Temixco, if you get bitten, you will be very sick yourself.

When I was still working as an instrument technician in Alaska, my work often took me to the military bases up there to tune up their mechanical systems. I could always get some military grade DEET there, it is probably the strongest solution they make.

I don't even know where to buy DEET here. I recently found some OFF! Brand insect repellant in the farmacy at a new Superama supermarket here though. Superama is owned by Sam's Club – Wal Mart here, We now have 4 Superama 's here now.

We do not have a big insect problem here, the house is fairly new, and the windows are all screened. Whenever we have had a housekeeper in to clean the house, they like to open all of the windows, including the screens, to get fresh air in the house. Whenever they leave, I can hear one or two mosquito’s buzzing around my head when I turn the lights off at night. My suegra told me she often has the same problem after a housekeeper has been here.

I bought a couple of cans of the OFF! in spray cans to use while traveling, and a couple of tubes of the OFF! Gel to use at night, I keep that tube in my nightstand next to my bed now. The instructions say to keep it out of your eyes, nose and mouth, So I told my suegra to just put a dab of it on each cheek of her face, and on her arms if we have any more mosquito's in our bedrooms at night.

I don't know how effective OFF! May be, but I don't want to give those little devils a chance to make me very ill.

Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

sfmacaws

Mar 16, 2012, 8:50 PM

Post #15 of 15 (4355 views)

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Re: [Papirex] Dengue in Yucatan

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I feel fairly lucky not to have gotten dengue before this, it's not uncommon here.

Off! is DEET and is pretty effective, I think 25%. Autan is another chemical that is the only other one that has been proven to work (in testing) and it works as well but not for as long as the DEET. I use Autan liquido after I shower in the rainy season and spray with Off as needed after that. It's remembering to do it that has been my problem, but I've got new resolve.

I'm also going to be more consistent with having the exterminators over to spray at least every 3 months, more often in the rainy season. It's a pain to move all the animals and watch out for the fish but it does help a lot.

I've removed all the mulch from the beds in the garden, water gets trapped in it during the rains and it is enough for them to breed. My ponds are actually a big help, they attract mosquitoes and the fish are hungry and waiting. Living in a city though, you are at the mercy of any neighbors who don't clear out breeding sites on their property.

It's a PITA but a small price to pay to live in paradise. I love the weather here, love the heat and the flowers and the rains. I can deal with the rest.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán