BENGALURU: Mosquito-borne diseases are increasing in the city, with 51 cases being reported last week. June is generally observed as ‘malaria control month’ by the Health Department every year and July is anti-dengue month.
Dengue cases increased from 541 in the first week of May to 1,425 till last week. Chikungunya saw a spike from 132 in the first week of May to 284 till last week. As many as 21 fresh cases of chikungunya were confirmed. The silver lining is the fact that there have been no deaths in the state.
Information, Education, Communication activities are in full swing, said Dr B G Prakash Kumar, deputy director, National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme, Karnataka. Auxiliary nurse midwives, male health workers and accredited social health activists are encouraging people to use mosquito nets when sleeping outdoors and domestic breeding checkers are spraying anti-larvicidal liquid around flower pots, tanks and other places.
Dr M N Lokesh, Chief Health Officer, public health, BBMP, said: “The 132 wards in core areas have three DBCs each and while 66 wards in the outer zones have four DBCs each. They divide each ward into seven parts and cover the ward in seven days. Since the temperature is between 26oCelsius and 30o C, the weather is not conducive for breeding.”