The environment of Doon valley is best suited for the growth and development of Aedes mosquito, so the chances of spread of Dengue are also higher here. The district vector-borne diseases officer, JP Bahuguna made this disclosure while addressing a seminar organised on the occasion of World Dengue Day at the office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) on Monday.
He informed that surveys conducted by National Institute of Malaria Research, Haridwar have revealed that the concentration of larvae of Aedes mosquito is higher in Dehradun. Bahuguna said that the Aedes is highly adoptive species of mosquitoes and now it is also being reported from the mountainous areas of the State.
He said that one female Aedes mosquito can lay as many as 200 eggs at one time and it requires very less quantity of water to survive. Bahuguna said that if the water body in which the eggs are laid, dries up completely then the eggs develop a coating around them and go into a period of dormancy and can remain in this condition for a period of more than one year. He said that the awareness about the disease is the best way to combat the menace of the disease. Bahuguna gave a detailed presentation on the Aedes mosquito which is the vector of diseases like Dengue, Chickengunia and Yellow fever.
Dengue is a viral infection spread by the mosquito Aedes Aezypti popularly known as Tiger Mosquito due to the characteristic strips over its body. The symptoms of the disease are persistent high fever, rashes, headache and pain in the joints. In the acute cases the platelets number decrease drastically which may prove fatal for the patient. The tiger mosquito strikes during day time and doctors suggest that people should wear full sleeved clothes to prevent mosquito bite.In Uttarakhand the disease is more prevalent in Dehradun and Haridwar districts.
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer (Dy CMO), Dr D K Chakrapani said that in depth planning is needed to tackle the menace of Dengue. He advised that the department should segregate the district on the basis of incidences of the disease and then device a comprehensive plan to combat the disease. The district health department found 2567 samples positive after Rapid test in the district last year.
The number of samples found positive in Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ElISA) was 829 and the department claimed that no death due to the disease occurred in the district last year.
large number of Asha felicitators and officials of district health department participated in the seminar.