The total dengue and chikungunya case tally was at 750 in August, at an average of 25 cases per day . Moreover, the continuous rainfall over the last two days is likely to increase the mosquito menace, leading to a further spurt in mosquito-borne diseases in and around Pune, experts say .
As per the records of Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune has registered a total of 1,103 dengue cases between September 1 and 30. Among them, private hospitals have reported 889 cases while government-designated laboratories and sentinel centres have reported 214 cases. A total of 490 chikungu nya cases were reported in the same period.
The city has been in the grip of these two diseases since July, and more cases are being reported from Warje, Hadapsar and core areas like Kothrud, Tilak Road, Karve Nagar and Aundh. The problem is especially acute when a growing population lives in crowded conditions.
“The aedes aegypti mosqui to has adapted to breeding in and around human dwellings, and deposits its eggs in any uncovered water container,“ entomologist Mukund Deshpande said, adding that keeping refrigerator drawers dry , punching holes in the bottom of paper bags before placing them in garbage, properly covering trash containers, drums, barrels, tanks, buckets or any other container where water can accumulate, are the best prevention measures. Since aedes aegypti breeds in fresh water, health officials say it is imperative for every household, one day a week, to empty and clean all utensils and tanks.
“Flower vases should be emptied and cleaned at least once a week to curb mosquito breeding inside the house. Besides, we should clear our surroundings of discarded plastic containers and other receptacles that may have store rain water from drizzles witnessed last month. There has been no rain now but the stagnant water in these containers, along with a suitable temperature, helps the mosquitoes to grow and propagate. It is one of the reasons for dengue cases to rise since the beginning of this month,“ senior physician Avinash Bhondwe said. Last month, most private hospitals and laboratories in the city consented to capping the dengue diagnostic test at Rs 600. The move came in the wake of Pune Municipal Corporation’s directives to hospitals or labs to follow a suggestion from the Union health ministry’s National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.
Municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar also held a meeting with civic health officials last month, and instructed them to use every communication platform to educate people on how to check mosquito breeding sites and other precautionary measures to ward off vector-borne diseases.
The meeting was held in the wake of a spiralling number of chikungunya and dengue cases in Pune city .
The commissioner instructed officials to make use of every communication platform -social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, radio jingles and TV spots -to educate people about keeping their premises clean.
Almost all the major hospitals in the city are reeling under a severe shortage of beds, as the rising number of cases has led to 100% occupancy in most facilities. Since there is no preventive vaccine, it becomes the responsibility of the citizens to take preventive measures, say experts.
Source : TOI
