Most mosquito breeding spots found in the suburbs; civic officials fumigate city, conduct awareness drives.
A year after the municipal corporation was lauded for its efforts in bringing down malaria cases, another mosquito-borne infectious disease is giving its officials sleepless nights.
During its routine survey last week, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) found most of the dengue mosquito breeding spots in the suburbs. To curb this menace, civic officials are working 24x7 fumigating the city and educating the public, especially housing societies.
“Our weekly-offs and public holidays have been cancelled. We have set up a rapid action force and are conducting indoor fumigation and anti-larval treatment services extensively,” said a pesticide officer from H east ward (Bandra, Khar and Santa Cruz).
Officials of the H east ward health department found at least 25 dengue mosquito breeding spots in October alone. “At least 95% of the breeding spots were in housing societies, and the larvae were found in ornamental plants,” said a pesticide officer.
The BMC is also holding special awareness programmes for housing societies. “We have sent letters to the society chairmen asking them to attend the programme. So far, the response has been good,” said a pest control officer from K west ward.
With nursing homes and private hospitals seeing a large number of dengue admissions, they are sending the patient details to the BMC every day. “This year, we have seen many dengue admissions. At present, six such patients are being treated at here,” Dr Anil Suchak, medical director of Suchak Nursing Home, Malad (East).
Dr Rajiv Walawalkar, who owns a nursing home in Ghatkopar, said: “Patients with dipping platelet counts are being admitted to hospitals as physicians don’t want to take any chances.”
Doctors opined that a patient’s family usually gets lax with the treatment after the fever subsides. But this may lead to the platelet count dropping again and a relapse.
Though chances of dengue proving fatal is very low, a patient can slip into a dengue haemorrhagic shock syndrome if more that two types of dengue virus attack him back to back.
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