Public health experts have cautioned that at a time when there are seasonal short showers, residents have to be careful about preventing the breeding of mosquitoes in their homes or compounds.
This season, where short shower bursts are expected with periods of dry weather, may lead to the formation of clear pools within compounds, on terraces, sunshades and containers placed in balconies or in open spaces within homes. The dengue-carrying mosquito Aedes Aegypti breeds in clear water, so one needs to be careful not to allow pools of water to be formed that would allow the vectors to breed, epidemiologists say.
Also, while dengue was until recently perceived as a disease of urban areas, there are studies now to show that its spread to rural areas has also been steady over the past decade or so.
In their paper on ‘Seroepidemiology of a focal outbreak of dengue in Tamil Nadu’ in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, R. Paramasivan et al trace this to the outbreak in Theni district in December 2002.
A couple of years ago, the epidemic that swept through Tamil Nadu was fuelled by a set of circumstances that seemed unique: power cuts had forced residents in rural areas to store water in large pots and cisterns over weeks. Not cleaning them over a period of time led to the breeding of the vector in the pans, which in turn resulted in a rash of cases of dengue.
S. Elango, former Director of Public Health, Tamil Nadu, said residents need to empty containers, buckets of water, coconut shells that collect water during the rains, unused rubber tyres, and even water that collects in flower pots. “We must ensure that there is elimination of factors that help the mosquitoes breed and thrive, in order to ensure that there is no disease.”
Note of caution Dr. Elango also cautions that GPs should watch out for signs of fever among patients and develop a suspicion for dengue. In some instances, the symptoms are self-limiting, but in the cases where they persist, the patient may need to be referred to a hospital, Dr. Elango added.
