As corpns battle Covid-19, dengue rears its ugly head

New Delhi: With increasing temperatures and an unusual amount of rainfall in the preceding month, an early arrival of mosquitoes is being noticed across the city. It has left the public health experts worried about the possible spread of vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya. The National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme has written to the municipal corporations in the city to step up anti-mosquito measures, citing that dengue cases are already being reported in the capital.

“All our domestic breeding checkers have been deployed for disinfecting areas to prevent spread of infection by the novel coronavirus. At present, we do not have any additional man-power but plans are afoot to start anti-mosquito operations soon,” said a South Delhi Municipal Corporation official.

The warning from National program is especially troublesome as anti-malaria headquarter operations and the weekly reporting of vector borne diseases through sentinel hospitals at present lies suspended. Public health officials warn that most of the mosquito breeding occurs inside homes and under current conditions, domestic breeding checkers will not be able to enter houses. “The anti-larvae drive can only focus on drains and stagnant pools of water. People will have to be extra vigilant in coming weeks,” said an official.

As a mitigation measure, SDMC has asked domestic breeding checkers to focus on anti-vector borne diseases in their second half of the shift. Another civic official said that besides this, 500 workers may be added to the workforce and the commissioner reviewed the situation on Thursday.

An official of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said that like every year the mosquito control activities will start in mid-April.