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The risk of dengue increases rapidly during monsoon and subsequent seasons. Most people have a common misconception that all mosquitoes bite only in the dark of night or while sleeping. But the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads dengue virus, shows completely different behavior. According to medical experts and entomologists, Aedes mosquito is not a nocturnal but mainly a daylight hunter (day biter).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and infectious disease experts, the activity of this mosquito’s bite does not remain the same throughout the day. Its bite has a specific circadian rhythm, in which it is most aggressive and active during two specific time periods:

• Morning peak time: just after sunrise i.e. in the morning 6:00 to 9:00 or 10:00 Aedes mosquito remains most active among. School going children, people taking morning walks and people leaving for office become the easiest victims at this time.

• Evening peak time: just before sunset i.e. after noon 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm By dusk this mosquito again becomes very aggressive. This time is most sensitive for children playing in the park and those who go out in the evening.

• Night Danger in Artificial Light: Even though it is a daytime mosquito, if there are bright indoor lights (Artificial Bright Light) burning in your home or office, it can become active and bite at night also.

Aedes mosquito is also colloquially called ‘Tiger Mosquito’ because it has white stripes on its black body and legs. This mosquito is not very powerful in flying and usually lands on the ground. 3 to 4 feet height Can fly only up to. For this reason, it often attacks the human feet, ankles, calves and lower elbows.

Indoors it prefers to rest in dark and cool places:

• Spaces behind curtains and under sofas or beds.

• Behind the wardrobe and between the clothes hanging stands.

• Damp corners of the bathroom and under the sink.

The most effective way to prevent dengue is to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites. Immediately implement these 5 precautions in your daily life:

• 1. Wear clothes that cover the body completely: Whenever you go out of the house in the morning and evening, wear a full sleeve shirt, full pants and socks. While sending children to park or school, do not leave their hands and legs uncovered. It is better to wear light colored clothes, because dark colored clothes attract mosquitoes more.

• 2. Regular use of mosquito repellent: Apply DEET, Picaridin or natural eucalyptus/citronella based mosquito repellent cream or spray to exposed areas of skin. Mosquito patches or roll-ons can be used on children’s clothing.

• 3. Empty out stagnant water before 7 days: Aedes mosquito lays eggs not in dirty drains, but in clean and stagnant water. Empty and dry coolers, flowerpot plates, AC trays, birds’ drinking water pots, flower pots and junk or old tires lying on the roof completely at least once a week.

• 4. Place nets on the windows and doors of the house: When opening windows for fresh air during the day, ensure that they have fine mesh on them, so that mosquitoes cannot enter. Use mosquito repellent vaporizers or cards indoors.

• 5. Add Temiphos or kerosene to coolers and water tanks: If it is not possible to drain the water from a large body of water or cooler immediately, apply a larvicidal chemical (such as temiphos) or a few drops of kerosene to the surface of the water. Due to this, the layer of oxygen on the surface of the water breaks and the mosquito larvae are destroyed before they can develop.

If a person has high fever, unbearable pain behind the eyes, severe cramps in joints and muscles, or skin rashes, then do not consider it as normal seasonal flu. Avoid taking medicines like aspirin or ibuprofen on your own without doctor’s advice and immediately go to the nearest pathology and get platelet count and dengue serology (NS1 Antigen) checked.