Health authorities find dengue larvae at 27 locations in Rawalpindi

Comprehensive drive against dengue in Punjab not expected until February 15

RAWALPINDI: Despite the biting cold, surveyors continue to find dengue larvae in the city. In the most recent survey, larvae were discovered in 27 locations in houses and standing waters.

The discovery has left the district health officers in hand despite the fact that the provincial health department had devised a comprehensive plan to tackle such a situation. The plan includes using ducks and larvae-eating fish.

Dengue monitoring: Target 40 houses per day: official

Per the plan, the health authorities will introduce the fish in pools of standing water so that they can eat the larvae. In the rural areas, officials will offer ducks at subsidized prices and convinced to let the ducks loose in pools and ponds so that they can eat the larvae.

A comprehensive drive against dengue in the province, though, is not expected until February 15. Until then, all such locations will be surveyed almost daily where larvae were consistently found in recent years. Moreover, 1,600 workers divided into teams will be focusing on areas straddling the territorial border between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2019.