Role of primary care providers in dengue prevention and control in the community

Dengue fever is a major public health threat in Malaysia, especially in the highly urbanized states of Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. It is believed that many seek treatment at the primary care clinics and are not admitted. This study aims at establishing the fact that primary care practitioners, as the first point of patient contacts, play a crucial role in advising patients suspected of having dengue to take early preventive measures to break the chain of dengue transmission. A total of 236 patients admitted to two government hospitals for suspected dengue fever were interviewed using a structured questionnaire over a one week period in December 2008. It was found that 83.9% of the patients had sought treatment at a Primary Care (PC) facility before admission to the hospital, with 68.7% of them seeking treatment on two or more occasions. The mean time period for seeking treatment at primary care clinic was one and a half (1.4) days of fever, compared to almost five (4.9) days for admission. The majority of patients (96-98%) reported that primary care practitioners had not given them any advice on preventive measures to be taken even though 51.9% of the patients had been told they could be having dengue fever. This study showed the need for primary care providers to be more involved in the control and prevention of dengue in the community, as these patients were seen very early in their illness compared to when they were admitted.