North Kolkata’s Dum Dum area has recently reported 160 people tested positive for dengue fever. The recent rise in the mosquito-borne disease has sparked panic among people in the area.
In the last three months, dengue cases have been reported from pockets of South Dum Dum and Dum municipalities, including Kalinagar, Dakhindari, Natunpara, Pramodnagar and Dum Dum Cantonment areas, The Times of India reported.
Dengue cases spiked after Durga Puja. A 59-year-old woman at Subhashnagar in Dum Dum reportedly died on the day of Vijay Dashami after complaining of high fever for several days.
Councillor of one of the affected area, Ward 3 of South Dum Dum Municipality, Pradip Majumdar said cases of dengue have increased due to poor hygiene practice by residents in parts of Dum Dum.
He further pointed out that some of the people residing in the area are not cleaning stored water which in turn in becoming breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Majumdar further added that people do not keep toilet outlets clean, adding, "We are organising camps in parts of the area to monitor the situation on a day-to-day basis."
Dengue fever is spread by female mosquito Aedes aegypti that breeds in stagnant water and bites during early morning and during the evening before dusk.
Initial symptoms of dengue include high grade fever, severe headache which is often accompanied by rash, joint and muscles pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, soaring of eyes among others.
According to the report, Madhugar area which was the epicenter of dengue last year in Kolkata has not reported any deaths due to the mosquito-borne diseases so far this year. Residents of Purba Sinthi Road were afraid of dengue outbreak in recent years. Several deaths were reported and hundreds of locals suffered from fever, turning the area vulnerable in the past few years.
The daily quoted Siddhartha Kar, a resident of ward number 13 of south Dum Dum Municipality, who son was tested positive for dengue, saying that this year no cases of the mosquito-borne disease was heard in the neighbourhood. He further said that it appears that civic workers in the area have been able to prevent the spread of dengue.
Prabir Mandal, another resident of Ward 13 was further quoted as saying that there has been a coordinated effort to curb mosquito larvae from May this year and it has continued on a regular basis. He further revealed that a team from the municipality is keeping tab on each house on a regular basis to find out if anyone has been affected by the deadly disease. Mandal’s mother Kanika tested positive for dengue in 2017.
This year in wards 12 and 13 of South Dum Dum, a team of local women has been inspecting each household, visiting door-to-door to ensure that no one has kept water stored anywhere.
Sushanta Ghosh, a resident of Ward 12 of South Dum Dum municipality was also quoted as saying that the civic teams have also covered the drain water pipe outlets with mosquito nets. Regular spraying of larvicide has also helped in preventing spread of the disease this year.
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