Intense phase of dengue outbreak may hit population

Islamabad : After a significant fall in temperature here in this region of the country including the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and their surroundings, mosquitoes including dengue fever vector ‘aedes aegypti’ may move to relatively warmer places inside homes, offices, restaurants, hotels and shops to rest and bite and according to health experts, the phenomenon may cause further spread of dengue fever particularly in the areas, already hit severely by the infection.

The epidemiological findings on the basis of data available on the subject of incidence of dengue fever and the trends of the disease during the last sixteen years or so in this region of the country show that the fall in temperature causes mosquitoes to move to find comparatively warmer places inside houses, offices and vehicles including cars, vans and buses where they can rest and stay for longer periods of time.

Due to fall in mercury that has dropped down to 20 degrees Celsius and below from evening till morning in this region of the country, the mosquitoes’ activity gets limited. Studies reveal that it is hardly possible for ‘aedes aegypti’, the mosquito that causes dengue fever to mount and feed on humans below 18 degrees Celsius, as his limbs and joints become weaker.

The mosquitoes become almost inactive outside homes at the existing temperature particularly from dusk till dawn as the weakness in their joints make them unable to get a firm grip and mount on the body of a person for sucking blood.

Experts say that in the existing weather conditions, the mosquitoes including ‘aedes aegypti’ would be trying to reach warmer places, available inside offices and homes, particularly in bedrooms and kitchens where they can stay in corners behind the curtains or furniture to rest and bite.

Experts say that it is time for the individuals to remain vigilant on the subject of indoor surveillance and perform indoor residual spraying (IRS) wherever necessary to prevent further spread of dengue fever.

It is important to mention here that after a sharp fall in temperature, it is generally observed that more than one member of a family or the whole family gets infected after bites of dengue fever vector and it is so because the female ‘aedes aegypti’ in relatively cold weather is known as nervous feeder. The female mosquito flies repeatedly during feeding on humans and returns again and again for biting in a relatively colder environment.