With at least five cases of dengue reported from Angul district, the State Government is already on its toes to tackle the menace. Signs are that it may lead to a major outbreak in the coming months.
The Health Department has started sensitisation activities in the district which is a major hub of coal mines and power plants. Movement of a large number of trucks makes the region more vulnerable to dengue as truckers and workshops add to factors that boost the vectors.
A joint survey by the department and ICMR-arm Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) has revealed how potent the threat is. The National Rural Health Mission teams are working in the area since last year.
Sources said during the last one month, the teams kept surveillance on five villages __ Kalamchhuin, Salda, Beda, Baragania and Bantala __ where they found that the vectors have ample opportunities to multiply because of existence of earthen pots, cement tanks, drums and discarded tyres and waste pots which are breeding grounds of the mosquitoes.
The teams also made an assessment of the vectors and found that all three __ Aedes Aegypti, Ades Albopictus and Aedes Vittatus __ are present in the region but it is Albopictus whose density was found to be higher than the rest.
Efforts are now on to isolate the dengue virus which could help combat the situation if an outbreak is reported. Last year, the RMRC had found existence of Serotype 1 and 2 in the State. Emergence of a new strain could pose a strong challenge from public health point of view.
Last year, at least 1,800 dengue cases were detected in the State. Of the total 33 deaths, 22 were from Angul district alone. The rest were reported from Sambalpur, Sundargarh and Kendrapara districts.
The Government then launched a special drive in Angul, Rourkela and Jharsuguda for destroying piled-up old tyres and other breeding places of mosquitoes. Earlier this year, the Health Department had asked the Chief District Medical Officers to prepare a list of vulnerable areas and submit the same to collectors for necessary action. Since enforcement could lead to public disturbances, sub-collectors have been authorised to book cases under Section 133 of CrPC which empowers magistrates to issue conditional order for removal of public nuisance.
The department, meanwhile, has said the situation is normal this year. “We have been working on clearing the areas before the monsoon ends. Our teams are deployed in Angul,” Deputy Director Madan Pradhan said.
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