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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 16, 2012 2:40 PM IST
The authorities failed to respond to a warning sent three years ago by entomologists in the directorate of public health to civic and local bodies across Tamil Nadu about an alarming increase in the population of Aedes aegypti mosquito that causes dengue. Experts say the number of cases has doubled in Tamil Nadu in the past year, proving the forecast right.
According to Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, dengue cases have gone up by almost four-fold in the five southern states in one year. There were 77 deaths and 12,500 cases in the five states this year. Whereas 33 deaths and 2,858 cases of dengue were recordrd till September last year. The health department said the malaria causing Anopheles, which formed nearly 80% of the disease spreading insects, are being replaced by the Aedes aegypti, which causes chikungunya or dengue, TOI repored
'Three years ago we saw a clear decrease in malaria cases. The number of dengue cases was on the rise,' said former director of public health Dr S Elango, who is now the state head of the Public Health Association of India. 'There are dengue infections throughout the year, even in the summer,' he added.
Suggesting that the Centre should set up a separate wing for dengue like the National Malaria Prevention programme, state health minister V S Vijay said, 'That will help us get more funds and staff for prevention and management of dengue.'
Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds mostly in stagnant water. Dengue is transmitted by its bite during the day. A senior entomologist at the directorate of public health said, 'We don't know why there has been an increase in the Aedes aegypti population. It has adapted to both urban and rural areas.'
One of the biggest challenges in managing dengue is that there are four distinct, but closely related, serotypes of the virus that cause it. They are DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. Recovery from infection by one of the serotypes provides lifelong immunity against that particular variation of the virus. There is temporary cross immunity to the other serotypes after recovery. The risk of developing severe dengue increases with subsequent infections by other serotypes.
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