With 3,727 dengue cases, Bengaluru is the dengue capital

3,727 cases of dengue and 1,300 cases of Chikungunya recorded since Jan 2017 in City  Total of 4,807 cases of dengue are reported in Bengaluru BBMP health officer agrees indiscriminate fogging 

Bengaluru has turned into a capital for dengue and chikungunya with 3,727 cases of dengue and 1,300 cases of chikungunya recorded since Jan 2017, reports Kannada Prabha.

BBMP has undertaken several measures like fogging, awareness campaign and chemical spraying to contain the dengue and chikungunya but the cases are on the rise. In July first week, the number of cases reported was 1,910 and by Aug 20 it has gone up to 3,727. Total of 4,807 cases of dengue have been reported in Bengaluru. This is a cause for concern. In this context, the Central Health Ministry team has arrived in the City collecting data of dengue from both government and private hospitals.

The BBMP is fogging areas where dengue and chikungunya are reported. But scientifically it is found that dengue mosquitoes travel from the place where fogging is done to another where it is not done. In the sense they breed in new places.

The chemical spraying is being carried out on gates, sewage pipes and plants but it does not have any effect on dengue mosquitoes. The larva has to be identified and destroyed. BBMP health officer Dr Lokesh agrees that indiscriminate fogging and spraying of chemicals will not destroy mosquitoes. The staff are forced by residents to spray and to satisfy them and the BBMP is obliging. Actually, keeping the house clean avoids mosquitoes. Even one or two mosquitoes in the house hiding behind curtains or under cot can cause several to fall victim. Dr Lokesh also said the dengue larva would have got washed away in the heavy downpour and hence dengue and H1N1 may come down in coming days.

The budget allocated and spent for mosquito control in 2014-15 was Rs 8 crore. In 2015-16 it was Rs 7 crores, in 2016 -16 it was Rs 8 crore and in 2017-18 it is Rs 4 crore. The highest number of cases reported are from the Eastern region with 1,412 cases. Dasara Halli recorded least number of cases with 22.