Mumbai: Seventy-one confirmed dengue cases have been reported in Mumbai until July 14, said the public health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Health officials have attributed the change in weather and water getting accumulated, causing a spurt in dengue cases.
According to health officials, water is not accumulated when it rains continuously and this causes mosquito larvae to be washed away, which prevents transmission of infection.
“However, the rains in Mumbai are not continuous and this causes rainwater to remain stagnant and this is a favourable environment for mosquito larvae to grow,” he said.
Dr Rajan Naringrekar, head of the insecticide department, said they are inspecting households, residential and commercial complexes, even government buildings to look for mosquito-breeding sites and destroy them.
But on Wednesday, heavy rains lashed the city and once again the destroyed breeding sites are favourable grounds for mosquitos to lay eggs. “The water will accumulate again following this rain. We have to begin our work from scratch,” he said.
“Cases of dengue have increased due to viral infection which is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito which breeds in stagnant water,” official said.
Senior health officials said, unlike malaria mosquito (Anopheles) which breeds in water accumulated in open areas, Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in fresh water in a peri-domestic atmosphere (in petri dishes, under refrigerator plates, water containers, on trays under flower pots and on sagged tarpaulin sheets, in households.
“The life cycle of the mosquito is seven to eight days, from the larval to adult stage. Even after a dry spell, water is not washed away and remains stagnant, allowing the larvae to develop into adult mosquitos,” said Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer, BMC.
Civic officials said they are also creating awareness among the citizens by conducting regular health camp and door-to-door surveys to screen patients in the neighbourhood.