Dimapur, October 20 (MExN): In view of a recent upsurge and detection of dengue cases in and around Dimapur and Chümoukedima district, prominently in Diphupar area, the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), NHM, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare has issued a public advisory.
In the advisory, Joint Director & State Programme Officer, NVBDCP Dr Neisakho Kere informed that dengue fever is a viral tropical disease that is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Dengue mosquito bites during daytime mostly early morning and evening. When a person is infected by the mosquito, the virus circulates in the blood for 2-7 days which is the amount of time the fever takes to develop, it added.
Listing some preventive measures against dengue in the advisory, it requested anyone with symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, aches, and pain, to immediately undergo testing at Dimapur Civil Hospital or Kohima Civil Hospital.
It also urged the public to strictly follow the preventive measures for dengue which include use of insecticide repellents; use of mosquito nets (LLIN) daily during day and night time; and wearing long sleeve clothing/long pants. It also emphasized on avoiding stagnation of water in and around homes/dwellings, tires, flower pot bases, along with unclogging of drains and covering of water tankers to curb mosquito breeding.
According to the release, the programme has been conducting various activities like entomological studies, larvicidal operations, larvivorous fish distribution for open drains, water bodies, fogging, house to house fever survey, house to house vector study where the owners are informed of high mosquito population, dengue awareness etc in order to contain dengue.
However, it reminded that unless every household actively participates in controlling dengue mosquito breeding in and around their surroundings, combating dengue disease only through the endeavours of the programme alone is futile.
As such, it appealed to the public to identify and remove all stagnant water in and around the household surroundings. “Dengue mosquito breeds in even the smallest of container containing stagnant water example ‘a bottle cap’, so it is pertinent to remove all big and small mosquito breeding sites,” it said.
Further, it also urged the public to observe ‘one dry day in a week’ during which water in all the containers around the house are emptied out into a dry area.
