Doctors have recommended taking steps from now to prevent Dengue. They have said that anti mosquito campaign has to be carried out throughout the year. They have also suggested long term plans for this.
Health department says that in January, the number of Dengue patients is fluctuating and the number has not come down to zero as yet.
Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has said that so far, 164 persons have died due to Dengue though the unofficial number may be higher. In the running year, on Jan 2, there were 22 patients in the hospital.
The emergency operations centre control room has said that on the first ten days of the running year, there are 118 patients admitted to the hospital.
While it was primarily believed that Aedes mosquitoes carried Dengue, it’s now established that last year, Dengue also spread through Albopictus mosquitoes.
Specialists have said that female Aedes mosquitoes lay 60 to 150 eggs and in dry condition, the eggs are alive and mosquitoes are born when they come in contact with water.
Female mosquitoes lay eggs every other day and needs human blood before laying eggs.
Former director of IEDCR, Dr Mahmudur Rahman, said: “We have been seeing for the last few years that though number of Dengue patients fall, it never comes down to zero and so, the anti mosquito drive has to be all year operation.”
Dengue will remain but it won’t be acute like the year before because people have become conscious.
Saying that a mosquito survey has been done throughout Dhaka from Dec 17 to Dec 27, director of the health department’s disease control section, Dr Sania Tahmina, says: “The larvae has fallen this year compared to the same period last year; this year, we need the active participation of the all relevant departments, including works, weather bureau etc.”
Professor of Entomology of Jahangirnagar University, Professor Kabirul Bashar, said: “Dengue may be lower than last year but still, people will be affected and so, a year-long drive in essential.”