Dengue hotspots , a newborn & a worried parent!

[Serendipitysays]

Hello,

We recently moved to a rented property in Singapore .
Our ignorance was to be partly blamed , since we realized, after a month of staying , that this place is a dengue hotspot . And currently there are about 15 cases reported and the last week had about 25 cases reported in the area.
My concern is that I have a two month old baby and I am very worried
,inspite if all the possible precautions we have taken .
It's been three months now and there has not been a single day when the locality has been dengue free.And by locality I mean our lane.
I'm hoping to find some help as my reason for concern is my new born.
And if not for the hefty security deposit we put down we would have simply moved in order to keep my baby safe.

Is it usual for rental agencies to not mention hot spot areas while renting. ?

There is a clause in the tenancy agreement that says in case the house becomes unusable due to pests the tenancy can be terminated. Does this include mosquitoes?

I am terrible worried and Hoping for some input. .....

[x9200]

Hello,

We recently moved to a rented property in Singapore .
Our ignorance was to be partly blamed , since we realized, after a month of staying , that this place is a dengue hotspot . And currently there are about 15 cases reported and the last week had about 25 cases reported in the area.
My concern is that I have a two month old baby and I am very worried
,inspite if all the possible precautions we have taken .

We've been into a very similar scenario over 2 years ago (my wife pregnant) and nothing bad happened despite she is like a magnet to the mosquitoes. The spot was ca 30m far away and she was bitten probably a few times over the period (few months).

It's been three months now and there has not been a single day when the locality has been dengue free.And by locality I mean our lane.
I'm hoping to find some help as my reason for concern is my new born.
And if not for the hefty security deposit we put down we would have simply moved in order to keep my baby safe.

Well, there is always a risk but I think it is lower than you estimate. If you take all the precautions you should be fine (IMO) and it is easier to be done with a baby than with a pregnant woman. Our precautions included anti-mosquitoes bayogon (the one you put to the power sockets) in every room most of the time, uv-lamps and nets over the widows.

Is it usual for rental agencies to not mention hot spot areas while renting. ?

Yes it is because dengue here is every day reality. They also don't mention hot weather and cockroaches, right?

There is a clause in the tenancy agreement that says in case the house becomes unusable due to pests the tenancy can be terminated. Does this include mosquitoes?

Doubtfully.

I am terrible worried and Hoping for some input. .....

Don't worry too much. Not every mosquito carries the virus, not every bite infects and not every infection kills. You need some bad luck to get it. After a decade around and living in a number of places none of us got is so far (knock knock in unpainted wood)

[Serendipitysays]

Words of courage thank you.
The NEA has started spraying around the area all the time. I shudder to think of the long term effect on the baby , but we have also been using vaporizers and coils when not around. It's a little nightmarish , since we never really came face to face with dengue while staying at east coast. Never seen any and my husband who is also a mosquito magnet can vouch for that!
I guess it's going to be two years of vigilance and worry.
Did you guys stick around the same place after your wife delivered ?

[x9200]

Yes. We only moved out when our son was almost 1y old and only because the new owner wanted to move in. I had more concerns over the bayogon vapors than the NEA spraying as it was more like a constant exposure day and night but had some confidence that such huge company as Bayer would not take the risk to provide anything harmful to pregnant women and newborns without any words of precaution.

[Serendipitysays]

There is a note on the sprays /vapourisers that say " toxicological effects of this product on non target organisms are unknown ".... So it could be
Bagon hasn't researched this enough ... But I guess we hope it to be the lesser of two evils !

[x9200]

100% confidence they have it researched to some reasonable limits and probably found nothing but to be on a safe legal and scientific side put this kind of disclaimer.

[Arsenal_fan]

You could also use citronella patches that are available at the local pharmacies (guardian, watson). We used them when travelling around the region, they do keep the mozzies away.

[the lynx]

There is a note on the sprays /vapourisers that say " toxicological effects of this product on non target organisms are unknown ".... So it could be
Bagon hasn't researched this enough ... But I guess we hope it to be the lesser of two evils !

I can concur with X92's reply to this. Such tests have been rigorously carried out (you have to thank rabbits and mice for that) and knowing Bayer's regulatory, registration and QA processes, if it really does have an effect at significant value, Bayer would have pulled out the whole line and you will never even have a chance to see it on shelves

So as long you follow the recommendations by manufacturer, these products should not have any toxicological effect under normal conditions.

[the lynx]

And oh, if your landlord allows, you may consider installing wire screens all over the windows and entrance. Go for the magnetic type so that it won't be as costly (and as damaging) as the drilled-in type.

I do not know the actual cost but I have few neighbours who rent and install these to protect their families.

It will only protect when you're indoors but hey, at least you know that the mozzies won't be able to come in and breed.

[Serendipitysays]

Thanks all... The dengue cases are still on a rise here and was at 23 cases reported till date... It's weird coz I see neighbors taking precautions and NEA fumigating the surroundings . We have NEA inspectors checking our houses almost everyday - yet more and more cases are cropping up.
I've started burning citronella candles at dusk . And planning to get some nets. It will give me a little releif to know we are atleast safe inside (I hope)
The locality consists of only landed houses and I've noticed a a minimum of atleast two to three ticks/ fleas on my dogs every time they go out for a walk!
We have them on frontline as always and I have never seen ticks on them over the past ... But ever since we moved to this locality we have been plagued by ticks and mozzies....

Apologies on the rant but I fail to understand why is this locality prone to so many pests.... Beats me but I've never seen any of these around the east coast ......

[x9200]

This 23 cases are over rather large are so again, it is probably not that sever. As for hardly visible efforts of NEA, the weather got more rainy again what nicely contributes to the mosquito breeding habits. If you take a look at the plot shown in the NEA's dengue web page there are two likely scenarios to happen: the number of cases will soon drop down like it was in 2008 and 2010, or sky rocket as it was in 2012. Hopefully this will be the first scenario.

[the lynx]

Thanks all... The dengue cases are still on a rise here and was at 23 cases reported till date... It's weird coz I see neighbors taking precautions and NEA fumigating the surroundings . We have NEA inspectors checking our houses almost everyday - yet more and more cases are cropping up.
I've started burning citronella candles at dusk . And planning to get some nets. It will give me a little releif to know we are atleast safe inside (I hope)
The locality consists of only landed houses and I've noticed a a minimum of atleast two to three ticks/ fleas on my dogs every time they go out for a walk!
We have them on frontline as always and I have never seen ticks on them over the past ... But ever since we moved to this locality we have been plagued by ticks and mozzies....

Apologies on the rant but I fail to understand why is this locality prone to so many pests.... Beats me but I've never seen any of these around the east coast ......

Well this is a tropical region so having these is something inevitable. Those who are in East Coast are usually more concerned about having termites (yikes!) because that's what being rampant there.

Which Frontline product are you using? If it has been effective previously and is not at your current place, you have to consider switching the product as the ticks at your current location may be resistant to certain groups of insecticides inside the one you're using. Just let me know which one and I will see if I can advise on alternative range.

And yeah, the current state of weather may or may not be helping with the mozzie situation. Alternating rain and shine can be more detrimental than all rain or all sun. Best to observe and pray...

[Serendipitysays]

I do hope it gets better for the baby's sake! In the mean time it's a whole lot of prayers !
As for the dogs , I have a German shepherd and a husky. Both are on frontline plus. We also got them a spray which we used to spray their bedding with and now spray them on their paws when they take a walk. Maybe that would deter these ticks.....

[the lynx]

I do hope it gets better for the baby's sake! In the mean time it's a whole lot of prayers !
As for the dogs , I have a German shepherd and a husky. Both are on frontline plus. We also got them a spray which we used to spray their bedding with and now spray them on their paws when they take a walk. Maybe that would deter these ticks.....

Ah both Frontline Plus and Spray should do for now, especially Frontline Plus. Unless you see a tick gaining foothold on your dogs, you do not need to worry about that.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'll withhold my comments about bringing a husky to the tropics.