Fogging drive to rein in dengue
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KATHMANDU, OCT 03 - With the outbreak of dengue fever in Chitwan district, the Department of Health Services (DoHS), under the Health Ministry, has launched a fogging campaign for the first time to wipe out mosquitoes in critical areas.
According to Pranaya Upadhyaya, senior public health official at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), a four-member team of entomologists led by Shisir Panta initiated fogging (the mix of malathion and diesel) from Friday in places where Aedes mosquitoes were found breeding. The drive will continue until dengue fever cases dwindle.
Upadhyay said a study team had earlier found that out of the 52 stagnant water bodies, 28 were hosting Aedes mosquitoes and their larvae that are known for transmitting dengue in humans. Similarly, 21 out of 37 houses had mosquitoes, making its inhabitants more vulnerable to dengue in Bharatpur Municipality-2 alone.
Thus, the recently deployed team would continuously conduct survey and massively launch the fogging campaign.
The EDCD statistics show that over 119 cases have been confirmed with dengue cases among 766 blood tests conducted in Chitwan alone. Dengue cases have also been diagnosed in Dhangadhi, Bhairahawa, Tanahun and Nepalgunj in the last two months.
The officials said though few cases of dengue were reported in the pervious years, it has spread epidemically this year.
According to Upadhyaya, EDCD has also deployed rapid response teams in these areas and set up four fever clinics each in Bharatpur, Rantnanagar, Pilauchhighat in Nawalparasi to stem the spread.
He said this is the first time fogging campaign is launched against dengue. Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by Aedes mosquito, which becomes infected after it bites infected humans, and later transmits infection to other people it bites. The dengue cases appear mostly during and shortly after the rainy season.
Some symptoms of the disease are high fever (up to 105 degree Fahrenheit), severe headache and pains in joints, behind the eyes, in the muscles; nausea, rash and vomiting. Symptoms of typical uncomplicated dengue usually start within 5 to 6 days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito.
“It is best to protect oneself from mosquito bite by wearing full sleeves, using nets and mosquito repellent gels,” said Dr. Basudev Pandey, tropical disease specialist and consultant physician at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku. “Cleaning flower vases, coolers and water pitchers are a must because dengue mosquitoes multiply there.”
Posted on: 2010-10-03 09:09
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