GUNTUR: Viral fevers continue to be a headache for the Guntur administration with nine dengue cases reported this month. As many as 92 dengue and 240 malaria cases were reported since January in the city, Municipal Health Officer Ch Sobha Rani said.
Though the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has been conducting multiple drives to check spread of mosquitoes, the measures seem to have had a little impact as new viral fever cases continued to get reported. Along with anti-larval operations being conducted in 62 divisions of the cities, the GMC is organising awareness campaigns every Saturday, which, it said, it will hold more often.
The GMC’s malaria officer, Ch Prabhakar Reddy, said 955 ‘oil balls’ were used in over 265 drains and locations with stagnant water in an effort to curb mosquito menace. In addition to this, 23,000 Gambusia fishes, also known as mosquitofishes, were released in 7,500 wells and 2,200 drains. The name ‘mosquitofish’ was given to the species because of its diet which majorly consists of mosquitoes and larvae. They are introduced into an ecosystem as a biocontrol to reduce population of the insect.
Sanitary workers have conducted pyrethrum indoor space spray at 12,000 houses in 25 slum areas of the city, Reddy said, adding a breeding survey at 26 high risk areas have also been done.
Biologist D Obulu said the civic body was using two big fogging machines to check mosquito breeding, adding that sanitary workers were conducting door-to-door inspections to check if they had stagnate water. The civic body’s additional commissioner, K Ramachandra Reddy, said regular cleaning of drains was being done to ensure free flow of water and public were given pamphlets with details of how to stop breeding of mosquitoes in their houses.
92 dengue cases since January
92 dengue and 240 malaria cases reported in Guntur since January
955 ‘oil balls’ were used in over 265 drains and locations with stagnant water
23,000 Gambusia fishes, also
known as mosquitofishes, were released in 7,500 wells and 2,200 drains.
As many as 26 special teams are engaged in keeping a check on the spread of mosquitoes