The alarming increase in mosquito-borne dengue fever in June had caused anxiety among the people in Ernakulam.
By mid-June, following the onset of monsoon, the district had reported nearly one-fourth of the total dengue cases in the State. The month also witnessed eight deaths owing to dengue infection.
As per official figures, the number of dengue cases more than doubled in June compared to May. In May, the total number of cases was 802. In June, the number went up to 2,022. But dengue cases witnessed a spike this June compared to June 2022. Around 1,295 dengue cases were reported last June while the figure crossed the 2,000-mark this June.
The daily average cases had crossed 50 compared to the average 10 to 12 cases reported up to the second week of May.
The district administration and the Health wing had identified nearly 22 hotspots in which dengue cases had reported a rapid increase. Besides the divisions under the Kochi Corporation, the other affected regions include Thrikkakara, Thripunithura, Aluva, Kalamassery, and Perumbavoor municipalities; and Ayavana, Kaloorkad, Kadavur, Pothanikkad,Vazhakulam, Avoli, and Payipra panchayats.
Public health experts have pointed out that gaps in the containment measures as one of the reasons for the spike in dengue infections in Ernakulam. “Ensuring that water flowed freely in drains has to be made a 24x7 and round-the-year activity, rather than confining it to a pre-monsoon work. The majority of the drains in Ernakulam remain choked with plastic and other waste and they act as perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes to proliferate,” says Rajeev Jayadevan, member of the Public Health Advisory panel, Indian Medical Association, Kerala.
The district health wing and local bodies have attributed the spike in dengue cases to the callous attitude of people, who grow money plants in small containers inside their houses.
Among the containment measures, the authorities continue to focus on source reduction of aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which remain the most dominant species. Other works include fogging, use of indoor space sprays and clearing of roadside bushes.
