Apathy bites mosquito killing drive, Dhaka South more vulnerable

Massive actions to kill mosquitos were announced after deaths in dengue for a few years and pains in joints due to chikungunya in past two years, but a government study shows there is no sign that the city will get a reprieve from their stings anytime soon.

Obaidur Masum Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 May 2019, 09:54 PM
Updated : 22 May 2019, 09:54 PM

The media had published photos of Dhaka South Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon spraying insecticides with fogging machine and releasing guppy fishes that eat mosquito larvae in drains, but the study has found his part of the city is more vulnerable to the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.

The disease control section at the Directorate General of Health Services conducted the survey under a programme to eradicate malaria and Aedes mosquito-borne diseases from Mar 3 to 12.

The surveyors collected samples from 998 homes of all sorts at 100 places under 97 wards of the two city corporations.

They have found most larvae of Aedes in water collected over the ground, from abandoned tyres, plastic drums, buckets, open tanks, and flower tubs.

“The situation has neither improved nor has it deteriorated from what it was last year,” DGHS Director (Disease Control) Dr Sanya Tahmina told bdnews24.com, referring to the study.

“As the monsoon has started, it’s the perfect time for mosquitos to breed,” she said, urging the citizens, along with the city corporations, to be aware of the reasons that give rise to number of mosquitos.

The researchers took into account Breteau Index or BI, which counts number of positive containers per 100 houses inspected.

BI level more than 20 means the presence of mosquito larvae is risky for the inhabitants.

The survey found Aedes larvae more than the expected BI level at 15 wards under Dhaka South City Corporation and seven under Dhaka North City Corporation.

The researchers also estimated adult mosquito population density using 58 BG-Sentinel Trap-2 in Dhaka South and 83 in Dhaka North.

This type of trap is the latest technology to survey adult mosquito, according to DGHS Deputy Programme Manager for Malaria and Aedes Transmitted Diseases Dr MM Aktaruzzaman.    

The presence of adult mosquitos was also found much higher in Dhaka South – 26 female and 40 male -- while the numbers in Dhaka North was nine female and three male Aedes mosquitos.

“It is natural that there were fewer adult mosquitos because it was the dry season. But mosquito population will dangerously rise after the rains start as the mosquitos start breeding once they get water,” Aktaruzzaman said. 

DSCC Chief Health Officer Brig Gen Md Sharif Ahmed said they were aware of the results of the study.

“It’s natural that the mosquito population is larger in our side because it is the old part with more drains and buildings,” he said.

“We are concerned about the rise of Aedes mosquito during the monsoon. We’ve taken a mega plan to tackle it. The implementation started in January and will continue throughout the year,” he added.

DNCC Chief Health Officer Brig Gen Mominur Rahman Mamun said they would launch crash programmes to control Aedes mosquito after the Eid-ul-Fitr.

A total of 148 people have so far been diagnosed with dengue in different hospitals of Dhaka this year, according to the government. One of them died on Apr 29.