Efforts on to nail Aedes mosquito

KOZHIKODE: In the wake of the outbreak of the Zika virus, the district health department is using the opportunity to nail the Aedes aegypti mosquito as it also spreads dengue.

Though Zika has not been reported in the country, authorities maintain that they would make use of the public fear factor to nail the mosquito as people have been lackadaisical in doing away with the mosquito menace even after several awareness programmes.

“Even after repeated advice, people are not taking care to destroy places where mosquitoes breed both inside and outside their homes,” rued District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr. R.L Saritha.

Authorities are gearing up to launch the pre-monsoon anti-dengue drive this month as 10 dengue deaths were reported in the district last year with as many as 260 positive cases.

Corporation limits, Thiruvambady, Mukkam, Feroke and Koduvally were the hotspots and officials warn that if the situation repeats in the same locations, it would increase the morbidity rate.

“Though people are well aware of dengue, how it manifests and spreads,  the importance of destroying breeding sources etc, no one seems to take care. An attempt to clean the defrost water collecting tray of the refrigerator is mostly ignored,” points out S. Vinod, senior biologist at district vector control unit.

Health teams have detected Aedes breeding centres at unused toilets in the second floor of many houses, not known to the residents. Also, flower vases, aquariums without fish, a/c water storage area, cooler trays are the other common breeding centres inside houses. “People are more concerned about destroying the breeding centres outside their homes,” added Mr Vinod.
 The health team had implemented a school-based programme called, “Aedes catch’ last year.