Even as an intensive mosquito control operation has been taken up on a war-footing, it has been cautioned that Rajapalayam will continue to be under the grip of dengue fever for the next 21 days.
A spot assessment done by public health and municipal administration officials has revealed that the next three weeks will be crucial for Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar district, since the life cycle of mosquito which causes dengue will last up to 21 days and the vector is still found to be active on the ground.
Till the life cycle is over, the fever-hit town and its surroundings will have sporadic outbreak of dengue and hence eradication of mosquito breeding sources should be taken up aggressively, official sources told The Hindu on Saturday.
Even after two weeks of preventive steps by the Health department and district administration, positive cases of dengue are still reported. A total of 38 patients are under treatment as on Saturday in the two government hospitals in Rajapalayam.
“These intensive fever control measures will continue till January 31. Till the breeding sources are destroyed and the vector is wiped out we have to be on our toes. The next 21 days are crucial in our mission,” Seeni Ajmal Khan, Regional Director of Municipal Administration, said.
Though the town is still in the grip of dengue, doctors say that the situation is under control.
While the fever situation in Rajapalayam has been contained to a large extent, patients from surrounding areas and other places, including Tenkasi, Sankarankoil and Watrap, are coming here since special medical teams from across the State are stationed here.
N. Babuji, Chief Medical Officer, Rajapalayam GH, said that the town was still endemic to dengue virus and medical teams along with municipal staff would have to work hard to restore normalcy. Rajapalayam has been facing severe outbreak of dengue since the last week of December.
