Dengue fever: Amid rising cases, this Ayurvedic drink can be preventive hack

The unprecedented surge in Dengue cases has encouraged the health department to implement preventative measures across India. There is a record rise in the cases of fevers like Chikungunya and Malaria too. Puducherry has accounted for 1,294 cases of dengue recently. Reportedly, more than 200 people have contracted Dengue fever in the last 22 days in the city. The state government hospitals are congested with patients submitting blood samples to be diagnosed with dengue fever. 

Dengue fever symptoms start to appear four to ten days after the viral infection which is caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoe. It can range from asymptomatic infection or mild illness to severe disease. The symptoms include fever, headache, and joint and muscle pain, which can last three to seven days. There are treatments which include fluids and pain relievers. In severe cases, patients require hospital care. One can protect themselves from dengue by avoiding mosquito bites. 

Amid the rising Dengue cases, Indian ayurvedic doctor Siddique Ali has provided hacks to prevent the disease. The doctor asks patients to resort to neem water in the situation. Neem, which has antibacterial properties, helps prevent Dengue from spreading. He recommends neem water twice a day to those suffering from Dengue. The process involves adding neem powder(a combination of neem, vetiver, suku, pepper and fennel) to 200ml of water and boiling it to reduce it by about 50 ml. If there is a fever, it should be taken once a day for five days. He says half of the neem water is enough for children. He prescribes not to reheat but to drink freshly made neem water. 

Meanwhile, Dengue cases have been on the rise over the past two months. According to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme report, more than 32 Dengue deaths were reported till June end. Not only in India, but Dengue is also engulfing the world with the number of cases increasing year after year. The data from the World Health Organization (WHO) states Brazil and other South American countries as the worst affected.