Though dengue and malaria cases are now not alarming in Dakshina Kannada, intermittent rain in Mangaluru and other parts of the district has raised concerns on the likely increase in the cases.
The malarial parasite infection is caused by the infective bite of Anopheles mosquito, while the viral dengue infection is caused by the bite of Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Both these mosquitos are fresh-water breeders. While the Anopheles mosquito bites during the dusk, the Aedes bites during the day.
From January till April 15 this year, Dakshina Kannada has reported 38 cases of dengue and 33 cases of malaria. As many as 295 cases of dengue and 689 cases of malaria were reported in 2021. There were 239 and 1397 cases of dengue and malaria cases respectively in 2020.
District Health and Family Welfare Officer M. Kishore Kumar said there has not been any increase in cases of dengue and malaria so far. “But these intermittent rains in the last a few days are conducive for spread of these vector borne diseases,” he said.
Dr. Kumar said multipurpose workers and other health staff are continuing with vector source reduction exercise. This is being done along with testing of blood samples, more so at places identified as high risk areas. Health staff are also ensuring that those tested positive for these diseases are taking necessary treatment.
The health workers are ensuring that construction labourers, who are suspectable to infection, make use of mosquito nets and mosquito repellants, he said.
District Vector Borne Disease Control Officer Naveenchandra Kulal said that 45 health workers have been deployed since last three years for source reduction, testing, case management and other malaria prevention exercise. “It is their dedicated work which has significantly brought down malaria,” he said.
Intermittent rain, Dr. Kulal said, raises concerns, more so, of dengue infection among construction labourers and students, who come from other parts of State to Mangaluru. “It is necessary for people to come forward for testing and abide by instructions of the staff for destroying vector breeding sources in the houses,” he said.
