If almanac and science were to be believed, the malaria and dengue cases being reported in the city will come down in a week.
The Corporation officials, who did not want to be quoted, are attributing the spurt in vector borne diseases to various factors, including El Nino effect, an intercalary month, and intermittent rains.
The intermittent rains are conducive for mosquito breeding.
More so, the climatic conditions in the city--humidity and rise in temperature-- are also favourable for the mosquito breeding. The Aedes aegypti, mosquito that causes dengue fever, breeds in fresh water.
The El Nino phenomenon results in large amount of rains and rise in temperatures. So, unless there was a dip in temperature, the malaria and dengue cases continue to report.
The dip in temperatures will bring down the chances of transmission of virus from one person to another even though a mosquito bites, the officials feel.
In Telugu calendar adhika masam -- an intercalary month -- Bhadrapadam occurred this year. Sravanam and Bhadrapadam are rainy months in Telugu calendar. As there is an intercalary month, the rains are extended for one more month. The nija bhadrapadam, actual bhadrapadam, will come to an end in next four days. So, there is a possibility that the intermittent rains will come to an end in a week.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has recording recorded about 100 dengue suspected cases and more than 200 malaria cases in the city in September.
On average, 6 suspected dengue cases, including the patients from neighbouring villages, are reported every day. Of this, however, only 18 dengue cases are officially declared.
The reason being that the government has directed to confirm a dengue case only if it was positive on elisa test.
