Survey finds aedes mosquitoes in Dhaka city’s 44 wards

Aedes mosquitoes, the carrier of dengue virus has been found in at least 44 wards of the capital, a survey done in 98 out of 129 wards, according to a health service survey report released Tuesday.

The pre-rainy season survey on the intensity of aedes also found that the presence of aedes mosquitoes was higher in seven of the wards with over 10 in the Breteau Index.

The presence of aedes was not yet risky but the authorities concerned should take steps to stamp out the dengue virus carrier as the rainy season would set in soon, Shahnila Ferdousi, director of disease control wing of the Directorate General of Health Services, said while releasing the survey report at an online press conference Tuesday.

‘More than 20 in BI is considered as risky,’ she said.

Shahnila said that the survey was done from March 5 to 14.

She said that the presence of aedes mosquito was not at the alarming rate but the authorities concerned should be alert to control the dengue vector.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a video conference with government officials of 64 districts from Ganobhaban, her official in the morning asked the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to check mosquito breeding.

‘Problem will amplify if dengue infection occurs in the time of coronavirus,’ she said.

The survey unveiled that presence of aedes was in between 10 to 13.3 in BI in the seven wards.

Afsana Alamgir Khan, deputy programme manager of the National Malaria Elimination and Aedes Transmitted Diseases said that with support from the government its agencies had developed a mobile application to provide early warning about aedes mosquitoes.

According to the Health Services statistics at least 271 dengue patients from the capital and its outskirts were admitted to different hospitals in the capital in last three months.

Residents of different areas in the capital complained that increased mosquito menace made it difficult for them to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dhaka South City Corporation’s chief health officer brigadier general Sharif Ahmed said that due to coronavirus pandemic the health workers were spraying bleaching powder as well as anti-mosquito repellents.

‘We have plans to conduct more crash programme before the advent of rainy season,’ he said. (Source: New Age)