Geographical Expansion of Cases of Dengue
Recently the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed that the geographical spread of dengue infection has increased from eight states in 2001 to the entire country.
- ICMR has confirmed that there has been an 11-fold increase in dengue cases in the last two decades and frequent outbreaks have led to an expansion in the geographic spread of the disease.
- The disease is now endemic in over 100 countries. According to the World Health Organization, half of the world’s population is now at risk of infection.
- Climate change, temperature controlled urbanized environment, lack of entomology experts, etc. have increased the risk of dengue.
- Dengue virus is mainly transmitted by female mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti and to a lesser extent Aedes albopictus. These mosquitoes are also carriers of chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika virus.
Problems in the control of Aedes borne disease:
- These mosquitoes bite during the day and many times,
- The incubation period is long and the eggs are preserved for up to a year,
- These mosquitoes travel fast distances and have a tendency for container breeding (breeding in water present in coolers, pots etc.),
- Human environment and intermittent water supply,
- Poor waste management at construction sites etc.
Way Forward:
- Develop vaccines,
- Promoting awareness and prevention,
- Ensuring people’s participation,
- Using technology to map disease prone areas, etc.
Source – The Hindu