Padang (Antara Bali) - Of 19 cities/districts in West Sumatra, Padang city is the most severely hit by dengue fever cases, according to local health office spokesman Rosnini Savitri here on Wednesday.
"Data from the health office indicated that 1,193 cases had been reported in Padang city, followed by Pesisir Selatan district with 358 cases, and Tanah Datar district 68 cases," Rosnini said.
According to her, dengue fever is spread by Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes which prefer to breed in clean and stagnant water, and therefore she calls on the local people to frequently check and remove it in their homes.
"Besides, they also have to clean up the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes breeding grounds such as sewer, pails, cans, and tires so that the water cannot accumulate in them," she noted.
Rosnini added that the characteristics of the mosquitoes were influenced by ambient temperature and rainfall.
"Extreme temperature, drought, heavy rainfall, and flood will will likely intensify the outbreaks of dengue disease and thus the people have to be more careful," she noted. (*/DWA)
