The Health Department will launch Operation Brito, a scientific campaign to keep vector-borne diseases at bay by destroying mosquito breeding sources, in Wayanad on Monday.
“As Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the major vectors in epidemics such as chikungunya, zika, and dengue fever, the project envisages to keep the Brito index, which measures the density of mosquitoes in an area, below five with the active participation of the public,” V. Jithesh, District Surveillance Officer, said.
The campaign is also aimed at sensitising the public on the importance of keeping environment clean and healthy to curb mosquito breeding and reduce vector-borne diseases, Dr. Jithesh said.
Objectives
Reduction in vector-borne diseases and the larva index to zero are the other objectives of the 35-day programme.
As many as 350 squads, each squad comprising health and local body officials and people’s representatives, would be constituted and they would visit all houses and establishments in the district during the first phase of the programme, which will conclude on August 31.
Breeding sources
The squad would inspect mosquito breeding sources during the visits.
On detecting a positive source, it would sensitise the house/ establishment owner to destroy such sources or the squad members would destroy the sources themselves.
If more than two positive sources are found at a site, legal notice will be issued as per the norms of the Public Health Act for source destruction and legal action will be taken against those concerned, Dr. Jithesh said.
The programme would be monitored and the second phase of the campaign would begin on September 1, he added.
