COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore District Health Department has advised local bodies to undertake mass cleaning to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes to curb the threat of dengue. As many as 92 locations in the district have been identified as hotspots for dengue spread.
The clean-up drive has been suggested as a preventive measure considering the chances of dengue, especially with the commencement of summer showers in the Coimbatore district.
"Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever thrive in rainy seasons and winters and the fever is transmitted to humans through the mosquito. Usually, mosquitoes breed after two weeks of rain and simultaneously dengue fever also manifests. Therefore, we have officially advised the local bodies in the district to carry out preventive measures against dengue spread and mass cleaning in the places where rainwater is stagnant," said P Aruna, Deputy Director of Health Services.
"During the rainy season, the stored rainwater should be disposed of where dengue mosquitoes can breed. Also, the public has been advised to remove unnecessary items from around their houses and ensure that rainwater does not accumulate," she said.
Aruna also said they have been concentrating on 92 places identified as hotspots for dengue fever in the district. "The hotspots fall in 66 locations in rural areas, six wards in the municipalities and 20 wards in the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation limit. These areas have already been identified as dengue-affected areas and the health department has advised to carry out mass-cleaning activities in those areas. As of now, one patient is currently under treatment for dengue in the city," she added.