A DIPR feature
Dimapur, Oct. 30 (EMN): Dengue fever, which is usually a post monsoon disease, is now endemic in Dimapur city. The aedes aegypti mosquitoe, which bites during daytime, is found in every nook and corner of Dimapur city.
The ambient temperature range for its transmission is 16 degree C to 40 degree C indicating that we may still have a good number of days of temperature in this range to go. The mosquito rests indoors, in closets or in dark places etc. feeds and lays eggs in and around the house.
With upsurge of dengue fever cases in and around Dimapur city, all available control measures have been put into place by the Medical Department including Fogging with Tech. Malathion 50 percent, Larvicidal operation with temephos, Larvivarous fish distribution, IEC awareness campaign, Enhanced surveillance, Intense Entomological studies.
As per entomological findings, (house index and breteau index) the densities of Aedes Agypti remained high in all the studied areas indicating the need for source reduction i.e. draining all water logging areas once a week which requires public participation, for ensuring elimination of vectors, and thereby control the outbreak.
Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by the bites of Aedes mosquito. It bites during the day time and a person develops the disease after 5 to 6 days of being bitten by an infective mosquito. Dengue occurs in two forms- Dengue fever (DF) and Dengue Haemorrhage Fever (DHF).
Signs and symptoms of dengue fever
- Sudden onset of fever
- Severe headache
- Pain behind the eyes which worsens with eye movement
- Muscle and joint pains
- Loss of sense of taste and appetite
- Measles-like rash over the chest and upper limbs
Transmission from one person to another
- When mosquito bites a person with dengue fever it picks up the germs of the disease along with the blood.
- The dengue virus develops within the mosquito in a few days.
- When this mosquito bites a healthy person, it introduces the germs into the blood.
- After few days, the person falls sick with high fever and other symptoms of dengue.
Breeding places
Aedes mosquitoes breed in any type of man-made containers or water storage containers even having small quantity of water like desert coolers, tyres, overhead tanks, drums, jar, buckets, tin, roof gutters, refrigerator drip pans, cement blocks, cemetery urns, bamboo stumps, tree holes and many more places where rain water collects or is stored.
Preventive and control measures
- All water storage containers should be covered
- Remove/destroy all disposable, unused materials lying in and around the house like old tyres, broken pots, crockery etc.
If there is any suspected case which matches the signs and symptoms, contact the nearest health unit of District Programme Officer (National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme) of your respective district for collection and transportation of sample for testing. Facility for testing is available at the district hospital of Dimapur.
