Hyderabad: Fewer dengue cases this year

Hyderabad: Compared with the previous years the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) witnessed a dip in dengue cases in its limits this year.

This year from January to july 26 only 61 dengue cases were reported in the city of which 55 cases were suspected and 6 were confirmed.

To curb the seasonal diseases during monsoon the Entomology wing of GHMC started a 100 days special program to increase the anti-larval operations and fogging activities.

As a part of this special program the entomology wing is focusing more on anti-larval operations near schools and function halls as these were closed for a long time and there may be chances of heavy mosquito breeding sources. The authorities are visiting the dengue positive cases in the city and are fogging activities are being conducted in the area were dengue cases have been reported.

The entomology wing also checks overhead tanks, sumps, pit taps and other water storage containers like drums, tins, pots and unwanted waste material to identify and remove Aedes and Anopheles mosquito breeding in different parts of the city and is also creating awareness among the public.

Chief Entomologist of GHMC, A Rambabu informed The Hans India that the authorities are clearing the water hyacinth and is spraying chemicals using drones into the identified 39 major lakes.

We are also releasing oil balls, gambusia fishes into the lakes and are focusing on Nalas and spraying activities near schools, construction sites and open plots, he added.

This process already started near Nala Cheruvu near Uppal, Hakeempet Kunta in Karwan, Kotha Cheruvu near Jubilee Hills, Alwal Cheruvu, Pallae Cheruvu near Rajendra Nagar.

The civic body has also identified 360 vulnerable area that are chronic breeding points like open plots and schools among others in different parts of the city, to concentrate more on the spraying activities and anti-larval operations to decrease the mosquito menace.

The entomology wing identifies the disease hot spots and transmission dynamics for both dengue and malaria based on previous year's incidence and even attends all the mosquito menace grievances through MyGHMC app and twitter.

The civic body officials said that in case of any symptoms of dengue the test can be done at Fever hospital, Gandhi hospital and also the samples can be given at the nearest basthi dawakhana.

Last year a total of 364 were reported in the GHMC limits among which 74 were confirmed and 290 were suspected. While the highest number of cases were reported in 2019 with a total of 3366 dengue cases were reported in the city in which 1406 were confirmed cases.