Mysore/Mysuru: With rising dengue cases causing a scare among the public, the Health Department has launched a drive to eradicate larvae breeding spots of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, which can spread dengue, Zika, Mayaro, yellow fever, chikungunya and other vector-borne diseases.

The Health Department has declared every Friday as ‘mosquito larvae destruction day.’ This initiative follows an order issued by the Health and Family Welfare Services Department Director D. Randeep, asking all district authorities to conduct the drive every Friday to check the spread of dengue and other vector-borne diseases.

As part of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito larvae eradication drive, the public, all public offices, schools, colleges, institutions, and local bodies are urged to clean their water tanks and waste collection containers.

Stressing the importance of destroying Aedes Aegypti mosquito larvae breeding spots to control the spread of vector-borne diseases, Randeep noted that the theme for National Dengue Day 2024, observed on May 16, was ‘Dengue Prevention: Our Responsibility for a Safer Tomorrow.’

Dengue Eradication Month

He pointed out that Dengue Eradication Month is observed in July with the slogan ‘Eradication of Dengue with Community Involvement,’ highlighting the need to engage the public in anti-dengue operations.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, District Vector-Borne Diseases Control Officer Dr. C. Suvarna said that the Health Department has launched a drive to be held every Friday for the elimination of mosquito breeding spots.

The entire day is dedicated to eliminating the Aedes Aegypti mosquito menace, and the drive was launched across the State on June 28. In Mysuru, the launch took place at Indiranagar (Ittigegud) Health Centre, inaugurated by District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. P.C. Kumaraswamy.

Public awareness

Dr. Suvarna continued, stating that as part of the drive, a public awareness programme was held at Alanahalli on June 28, during which residents were given a list of DOs and DON’Ts for eradicating the deadly dengue disease. A similar campaign was also conducted at N.R. Mohalla Government High School. The officer added that such campaigns will be held across the district throughout the month.

DHO Dr. P.C. Kumaraswamy mentioned that ASHA workers are conducting door-to-door visits to educate the public on measures to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds and prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.

He emphasised that the public will be sensitised to all necessary measures for eliminating mosquito larvae and destroying breeding grounds, noting that the positivity rate for dengue in the district has seen a steady decline over the past fortnight.

In Mysuru district, blood samples of 3,493 people have been tested since January this year, with 481 testing positive. In June alone, blood samples of 1,266 people were tested, and 140 were found positive for dengue. For chikungunya, blood samples of 2,416 people were tested, with 84 testing positive for the disease.