Aurangabad's Health Department Fails to Make Headway as Dengue Fever Spreads Across City

It seems that Aurangabad's health department's measures to control dengue is making no headway, as the viral infection continues to spread across the region. Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is transmitted by the female mosquitoes of the Aedes aegypti species and to a lesser extent the Aedes albopictus species. Widespread throughout the tropics, it was first recognised in the 1950s during dengue epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand.

The intensity of dengue cases has increased in Aurangabad in the past couple of days due to continuous rains and water stagnation, reported Medical Dialogues.

The mosquito-borne disease that is characterised by severe, flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults has already claimed seven lives in Aurangabad and has reported an increase in positive patients’ toll that has gone up to 63 across the city.

Taking note of the situation, the health department of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has started special OPDs for Dengue patients in and around the city of Waluj, with official sources revealing that they came across several houses with a mosquito problem.

A huge number of health personnel, volunteers and NGOS have been brought in to carry out the task of collecting details from the residents, with the health department urging citizens to take precautionary steps to stop the spread of the disease. Steps like not storing water without a cover, cleaning water storage utensils once a week, wearing full sleeve clothes and using mosquito nets while going to bed at night are being promoted by the health department to keep diseases at bay.

While there is no specific treatment for dengue fever, medical care by physicians and nurses are a must for severe dengue so that they can nurture and stop the progression of the disease to save lives.

Method to control or prevent transmission of dengue virus according to WHO include:

1) Preventing mosquitoes from laying eggs

2) Disposing solid waste properly

3) Covering, emptying and cleaning domestic water storage

4) Applying appropriate insecticides to water storage

5) Using window screens, long-sleeved clothes, repellents, insecticides, coils and vaporizers among other measures to protect oneself from the mosquitoes carrying dengue virus.