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Vector-Borne Diseases

Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases either between humans or from animals to humans.
Mosquitoes are the best known disease vector; others include ticks, flies, sand flies, fleas, triatomine, bugs and some freshwater aquatic snails.

Key Facts:

Worldwide, vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 1 million deaths annually.
More than 2.5 billion people in over 100 countries are at risk of contracting dengue alone.
Malaria causes more than 400 000 deaths every year globally, most of them are children under 5 years.
Other diseases, such as chagas disease, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis, affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Main Reasons of disease transmission: globalization, travel and trade, unplanned urbanization and environmental challenges such as climate change
Some diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and West Nile virus are emerging in countries for the first time

In Lebanon, the Syrian crisis is a major risk factor for the emergence of vector-borne diseases due to displacement of carriers.
The accumulation of the garbage in Lebanon and the warm weather constitute a favorable condition for the breeding of vectors such as rodents, insects, mosquitoes and ticks.
Many of these diseases are preventable through appropriate protective measures.

Prevention:

It is important to take appropriate measures to protect yourself and your family from vector-borne diseases:

Before you travel to yellow fever endemic countries make sure to be vaccinated ( Note that one dose is able to give life-long protection against yellow fever)The yellow fever vaccine is free of charge and available in the following centers:

The Governorate	The Center	The Physician	The Phone Number
Beirut	Quarantine/ Beirut Rafic Hariri International airport	Dr. Atika Berry – Dr. Hasan Al Malah	01/629325- 01/611845
The North	Al Mina/ Quarantine	Dr. Akram Ghanem	03/228846 – 06/600787

Before temporary travel to malaria endemic countries , such as Central Africa, it is essential to take the anti-malarial preventive medications (dose and quantity are to be prescribed by physician in the center of Malaria Control)

Name of the Center	Location	Phone Number	Physician
Center of Malaria Control	Karantina- Next to Sleep Comfort	01/580660	Dr. Najib Achi

Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers that covers all the body
Use insect repellent on exposed skin and clothing to protect yourself from being bitten by mosquitoes, sand flies or ticks (except for injured or allergic skin)
Spray the inside of dwellings with an insecticide
Use window screens to keep mosquitoes and insects outside the place where you are staying
Close the windows and the doors and use air conditioner.
Sleep under a white insecticide-treated bed net (156 holes per square inch), large enough to be fixed under the bed
Avoid or get rid of any media where the vector can breed, such as stagnant water in flower pots or used tires