Rain creates pockets for mosquitoes’ breeding, increasing chances of dengue outbreak

Rawalpindi:The population in this region of the country took a sigh of relief after a rainfall in the night between Wednesday and Thursday but it also strengthened the fear of an expected outbreak of dengue fever as it would help create pockets for mosquitoes’ breeding and may bring temperature down to a suitable level for the breeding and growth of larvae of mosquitoes ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Thursday has revealed that well over 45 individuals have already confirmed positive for dengue fever from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi proving that the adult ‘aedes aegypti’ mosquitoes are very much in existence in the region. Also the teams of district health departments in the twin cities have been finding the larvae of dengue fever vector in abundance hinting towards a possible outbreak of the infection.

The district health departments claimed to have been on toes as their teams have been carrying out extensive activities in the field for nearly two months or so to prevent a possible outbreak of dengue fever in this region of the country. After the start of regular monsoon rains, the weather becomes most suitable for breeding and growth of mosquitoes in the region. The health departments have intensified their campaigns on larvae identification and elimination of potential breeding sites of dengue fever vector both inside and outside houses.

The rains in the region, however, would create pockets for mosquitoes’ breeding particularly in the thickly populated areas in Rawalpindi district which are already considered as the high risk areas for transmission of dengue fever. Experts say that a one-day rain like the one on Thursday may not be much alarming however if the rain continues and its spell prolongs as happens in monsoon in this region of the country, it would increase chances of breeding of ‘aedes aegypti’.

The rains cause accumulation of water on a number of sites within and outside homes in the region and if these are not eliminated immediately, they may serve as ideal breeding sites for dengue fever vector. Only by controlling growth of larvae and eliminating breeding sites of mosquitoes, a possible outbreak of the infection can be avoided.

It is hardly possible for the teams of the district health departments alone to eliminate the pockets created by rains. Instead it is time for individuals to take preventive measures well in time and eliminate mosquitoes’ breeding sites from inside homes and offices. Experts say that the rains may create pockets at the rooftops and in areas open to the sky inside and around houses.

Experts say that it is time to sensitise population. People should not keep any type of containers including empty cans, caps of cold drinks, discarded utensils and toys of children in open as they may serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes if contain water for three to four days.

It is important to mention here that in the past years, the population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi faced dengue fever outbreaks in the month of August. Experts say that if we fail in checking breeding and growth of larvae of ‘aedes aegypti’ at the time, we may have to face a severe outbreak of the infection in the days to come.