Dengue fever, also known as 'break-bone fever', is caused by the bite of an infected female aedes aegypti mosquito. It can be painful and fatal. Therefore, the saying, prevention is better than cure, applies the best in case of dengue. If you're bitten by an infected aedes aegypti mosquito, it can take about four to ten days for the symptoms to show. High fever, severe headache, painful eyes, nausea, vomiting, rashes, muscle and joint pain are the most common symptoms of dengue. Dengue can occur as a hemorrhagic fever or as dengue shock syndrome. Therefore, dengue fever is one of the most dangerous diseases that transpire during monsoons. However, if one proactively works towards how to prevent dengue fever and dengue precautions, there will be a huge decline in the dengue fever cases in India.

[caption align="aligncenter" width="300"] How to prevent dengue

Female Aedes Aegypti Mosquito[/caption]

For those of you who don't know, dengue is one of the most dangerous epidemics that can occur during monsoons and has no vaccination to cure it. According to a Times of India news report, in Delhi alone, about 240 cases of dengue were reported so far in 2013.

Since there is no clear treatment to cure this condition and no vaccination against it, the best way to prevent dengue from occurring is to control the spread of mosquitoes. Listed below are some guidelines on how to prevent dengue fever and keeping dengue mosquitoes at bay.

1. The first step towards how to prevent dengue fever is to put a full stop to mosquito breeding grounds. Get rid of any stagnant water around your home. If you have flower pots, make sure you clean out the stagnant water and refill with fresh water every day. Watering potted plants more often than required can attract mosquito breeding. Therefore, in case of potted plants, dig out the soil every day and loosen it to avoid a layer of unused stagnant water on its surface. This is one of the most common causes of dengue fever, therefore, working towards the above-mentioned goals can answer your question of how to prevent dengue fever and promote dengue precautions. 2. If you store drinking water in a container, ensure that it is always closed well with a lid after use. By following this step, your question of how to prevent dengue fever can be answered. This specific issue also boils from the same source as mentioned in the previous point i.e. stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. On following one simple step, you can make a lot of difference in reducing the number of dengue cases. 3. How to prevent dengue? Use mosquito repellents regularly is a necessity. Make sure you wear clothes that protect and cover most of your body. On the exposed areas, mosquito repellents can be applied evenly. This will ensure that your concern about how to prevent dengue is resolved. 4. If your home has many windows and doors, you can get mosquito nets fixed. By getting window and door nets, one can ensure that mosquitoes do not enter your house even if the windows are left open. This is one of the most easiest ways to ensure dengue precautions. 5. If you use a water air cooler, remember to clean out the water tray regularly. Summer and monsoon are the time when most of the people use coolers to keep their homes cool. The people using these coolers, more often than not, fail to remember that, the water inside the cooler is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Therefore, mosquitoes breed inside the cooler and then simply enter your homes unnoticed without any restrictions. Thus, for the people who use coolers in India, keeping your cooler tanks clean can help you to answer your most pestering question of how to prevent dengue fever. 6. Ensure that you burn a mosquito-repellent coil or use a 'Goodnight/All-out' machine every night before sleeping. For dengue precautions, one should not underestimate the role of mosquito-repellent coils and machines like 'goodnight' and 'all-out'. Other areas that can be worked upon for dengue precautions include.

Keep your trash can covered at all times.
A natural way of sanitizing your house is to burn camphor with all doors and windows closed. Let its fumes spread in your house for about 20 minutes to have a mosquito-free environment.

Following these two simple steps will help you move in the direction of how to prevent dengue fever. 7. Yet another natural way of how to prevent dengue fever is by keeping mosquitoes away is to plant a Tulsi near any window. One of the dengue precautions include the use of a tulsi plant. The tulsi plant has medicinal and antiseptic properties that can cease mosquito breeding. Therefore, one can shift their tulsi plant near the window to curb mosquitoes from buzzing around and enter the house. This simple step will also assist you on how to prevent dengue fever. 8. Reschedule your outdoor activities and avoid being out during dawn and dusk and during early evening as these are the times when the mosquitoes are out. Female aedes aegypti are day biting mosquitoes i.e. they are most active during daylight and several hours before sunset. Therefore, if you want dengue precautions, try to stay indoors at the time when your chances of getting bitten are high, you will automatically reduce the incidence of contracting dengue and promote dengue precautions. If you want to read more about Dengue fever causes and symptoms, go to the Dengue Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Optionsarticle.

Checklist: Dengue Precautions OR How to Prevent Dengue Fever

Here's a small checklist that if observed, can answer the most asked question during monsoons i.e. how to prevent dengue fever and reduce the incidence of dengue fever.

Turn over all water storage containers
Spray adequate insect repellents with at least 20% DEET in dark corners of your house
Wear protective clothing with long sleeves to avoid mosquito bites when outdoors
Change water in flower pots and air coolers regularly
Permethrin - an effective mosquito repellent can be applied to clothes, shoes, camping gear and bed netting. Do not use it directly on your skin
Clear all fallen leaves and blockages in roof gutters
Don't let water stagnate
Even if there is no vaccination against dengue, it is a completely preventable disease. With the above dengue precautions, you can keep the dengue virus at bay. Please be vigilant.