7,829 dengue breeding spots identified in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI:

In the anti-dengue campaign, 7,829 dengue breeding spots have been declared hot spots and indoor and outdoor surveillance has been increased to search for dengue larva. The task of finding and destroying dengue larvae and compiling regular records has been entrusted to agencies involved in the anti-dengue campaign.

Under construction and empty buildings, service stations, junkyards, water tanks, tire shops, workshops, factories, marriage halls, nurseries, parks, hotels, swimming pools, schools, garbage collection points, dispensaries, and hospitals are possible sites where the discovery of dengue larvae was high.

Hotspots are sites where there is a high risk of dengue outbreak. As many as 948 mosques, 1,093 schools, and 90 educational institution centres have been marked as hotspots.

The health department under the supervision of district administration and several provincial and federal departments has been incorporated in the anti-dengue campaign.

The practice of regular visits and preparation of a daily report has started. The compiled daily report shows 4,651 unique hotspots while 7,776 total hotspots have been visited. Meanwhile, 3,178 hotspots remain to be visited.

During the campaign, 28,480 houses were also surveyed during indoor surveillance out of which the presence of dengue larvae was confirmed in 35 houses. The health department has formed 1,255 teams for indoor dengue surveillance. During outdoor surveillance, 9,956 places were inspected and dengue larvae discovered from 12 spots.

Mosquito larvae were found and destroyed at 15 places at sites of Livestock Department, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), and Civil Defense Centers. The anti-dengue campaign is being monitored by district emergency response committees and tehsil emergency response committees.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2021.