First confirmed dengue case to be treated by Goa DHS as upsurge

The health department is intensifying efforts to combat dengue after last year’s casualties, with Dr Kalpana Mahatme, deputy director and nodal officer of the state’s National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, emphasising the need for community cooperation.The department has developed a multi-dimensional strategy to battle dengue and keep casualties at zero. After seeing remote villages hit with dengue because of people travelling to urban areas to work and taking the virus back home, the health department has implemented a new approach this year--treating the first suspected dengue case confirmed through rapid testing as an upsurge to prevent its spread.“If there’s an imported case and there’s mosquito breeding, we will get more cases. If the vector is destroyed and if there are no breeding sites, then we will not get a second case in the area,” said Mahatme. Personal protective measures are crucial during the rainy season, including wearing long sleeves, long pants, and applying mosquito repellent.“Simple steps of checking and cleaning your surroundings for potential mosquito breeding sites and covering stored water with an airtight lid or tightly with a cloth can go a long way in preventing a dengue upsurge,” said Mahatme.The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries dengue, can breed in as little as 5ml of water, such as in bottle caps, coconut shells, tyres, flowerpot plates, and refrigerator trays.“Dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed close to us - in and around our houses. It’s impossible for health workers to enter people’s homes and colonies to check for mosquito breeding,” Mahatme stated.The health department recommends using guppy fish, available free at health centres, for wells, aquatic fountains, and plants as a preventive measure.Mahatme dismissed common misconceptions spread through WhatsApp messages about dengue mosquitoes. “The dengue and chikungunya transmitting Aedes aegypti mosquito is a day-biter and can bite any exposed part of the body. Applying coconut oil or other oils which don’t have any properties that repel mosquitoes will not protect you from being bitten,” she said.The health department has been actively conducting source reduction drives to eliminate potential breeding sites. They are also implementing fever surveys and public awareness sessions about dengue.Areas that experienced an upsurge of cases last year have been mapped for focused attention this year, following the National Dengue Day theme of ‘Check, Clean, Cover: Steps to Defeat Dengue’.The department continues to emphasize that preventing dengue requires simple steps rather than complex solutions, urging residents to maintain vigilance in checking their surroundings and taking necessary precautions.