Eliminate Dengue, Say Bye Bye Larvae by Observing Dry Day on Every Sunday – DC
Mangaluru: Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil initiated the ‘Dry day on Sunday’, on July 28 to say “Bye Bye Larvae”, which is the main reason to spread dengue in the city.
DC Sasikanth Senthil interacted with the mediapersons and said, “We need to bring awareness among the people about the spread of dengue. This year the pattern of rains is different. First, we need to understand how dengue spreads. According to experts the dengue mosquito breeds in our own houses. We need people to understand that the mosquito lays its eggs on the walls of water-filled containers in the house. Today while I cleaned my house, I too found the Larvae and it surprised me. Today I request all the people to take one hour to find out and eliminate the Larvae in their own homes”.
DC Sasikanth further said, “We will hold the dry day on Sunday in the city and this should continue every Sunday. We have already instructed the institutions to clean their surroundings. The Larvae doesn’t grow outside, it grows inside our own houses without our knowledge. We say that our house is clean but we have to understand that the dengue mosquitoes breed in clean water.”
DC also said, “Lack of awareness among the people about dengue is an issue now. By creating awareness among the people we can control dengue. The dengue outbreak is not a district issue but an issue throughout the state. If the media people are affected by dengue then it is in the workplace. It is the inhouse mosquito which bites during the day time. The dengue mosquito cannot fly more than 200 meters. If a person in the family is affected there is a possibility for others to be affected. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. But the Dengue mosquitoes breed in our houses in clean water which is stored and in rainwater. People should check the water stored behind their refrigerators, kitchen, under the pots of plants, water tanks and other places where the water stores. If you check in your water tank you will find the mosquitoes. Creating awareness among people is important. I request the people of the district to join hands with the administration to eliminate dengue by hunting for the larvae in their own houses.”
When asked about providing compensation to those who died due to dengue, DC said, “This is not coming under natural calamities. But we will see the seriousness of the outbreak. We will surely write to the government to provide compensation for the families”.
Where Do Dengue Mosquitoes Breed?
While your kid may be enjoying the blissful rainy days, you are spending your days constantly fretting about all the dangerous infections your kid can catch, especially when the ‘dengue’ alarm bells are set off. A mosquito-borne disease, dengue fever, is caused by the bite of the Aedes Mosquito. Identified by the black and white stripes on their bodies, the Aedes mosquito requires just one teaspoon of water to lay its eggs and for the larvae to fully develop into an adult mosquito. So, it can practically breed in any place where clean standing water is available. But to get a deeper insight into the breeding sites of the dengue mosquito, we need to learn about its life cycle first.
The lifecycle of an Aedes mosquito
The female Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs along the inner, wet walls of containers with water and the larvae hatch in about 2 to 7 days when the water inundates the eggs as a result of rains or through another source. In under 4 days, the larvae will feed on microorganisms and particulate organic matter and will metamorphose and change from a larva into a pupa. Pupae do not feed; they just change in form into the body of an adult, flying mosquito in about two days. Then, the newly formed adult emerges from the water after breaking the pupal skin. The entire life cycle of Aedes mosquito can be completed within one-and-a-half to three weeks. To know more about the changing habits of the mosquitoes, click here
Breeding sites of dengue mosquitoes
So, a fully-grown adult mosquito can develop in any nook and corner with stagnating water. According to a recent research study done to identify the preferred breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes in India, dengue mosquitoes choose to breed in tires, barrels, plastic drums and jerry cans. But they are various other indoor and outdoor breeding sites for the Aedes mosquitoes.
Outdoor sites:
1. Plant plates in the balcony
2. AC trays
3. Mud pots
Indoor sites:
- Fridge trays
- Kitchen racks – that hold washed utensils
- Clogged kitchen/bathroom drains
- Coolers
- Leaks in bathroom/ cisterns
- Uncovered buckets/water containers that are not regularly used
- Ornamental flower vase/ showpieces with water
- Bonsai plants/ indoor plants
How To Stay Protected
Step 1:
Practice source reduction and eliminate the unnecessary collection of water in all the sources mentioned above as well as containers lying around the house like plastic jars, bottles, tires, birdbaths and buckets in which Aedes aegypti can lay their eggs. Be sure to cover water storage containers with a fine mesh.
Step 2:
Dengue mosquitoes are active during the day, so be sure to use mosquito repellents like liquid vaporizers, coils or cards In the day time. For protection indoors, try Goodknight Activ+ to safeguard your family against the dengue virus.
Step 3:
Be sure to apply personal mosquito repellents whenever you step out. With just 4 dots of the Goodknight Fabric Roll-On on your clothes, stay protected outdoors for up to 8 hours.