Little Things

So many times in life we worry about the big things . . . you know, the things that are obvious to everyone.  But in my mind, those are the easy things to deal with because they are so visible.  No, for me it's the little things that I get concerned about.

Aedes aegypti

For instance . . . one of the little things that can truly bite you when you are living and working in a beautiful tropical environment are mosquitoes.  Now having spent a career in the military, I've had just about every deployment immunization known to man.  But there are still some varieties of disease that there are no immunizations for . . . such as Dengue fever  (no, not the Indie band).    Dengue fever is a  viral infection caused by a bite from Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito common to the Indonesian archipelago, which includes the Philippines.  It has the typical viral symptoms, such as fever, a rash over the entire body, fatigue, headache, joint and muscles aches, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes.  Now Dengue fever is not usually fatal or anything, but there is no real treatment except to keep the victim hydrated and comfortable.  It will run its course in about a week or so . . . but during that period, the fatigue and somewhat lethargic mood resulting from Dengue will keep the victim on his/her back for most of the time.    The hardest hit are very young children and the elderly.  Prevention is the key: mosquito netting over the bed, insect repellent when out doors, and not allowing water to pool where the little buggers can breed.

Dengue Fever (Indie band)

Of course, there are always other things that can be of concern, but at least there are some precautions one can take to minimize the likelihood of contracting Dengue fever.  Oh, and if you ARE into Indie music, Dengue Fever, the band, has some interesting titles: Sleepwalking through the Mekong,  March of the Balloon Animals, and their latest hit, Cement Slippers.  Anyway . . . maybe I will try to avoid both!