Disease eradication: Dengue larvae detected in 12 union councils

People urged to avoid areas with stagnant water.

RAWALPINDI: The district health department detected dengue larva in 12 union councils of Rawal Town during the first two days of its campaign against dengue virus. All Punjab government department offices in the city remained open to facilitate the campaign on Sunday.

A senior district government official said they had found dengue larvae in 12 union councils, mostly in standing water and tyres.

He added that the City District Government is concerned by the possibility of virus-carrying mosquitoes’ presence in the cantonment areas and Islamabad, which border Rawalpindi.

The campaign in-charge, Dr Ansar Ishaq, urged people to take utmost care and avoid areas where there is standing water. He added that the use of any detergent can kill the larvae in houses.

“People can mix two spoons of detergent in a 1.5 litre water bottle and pour the mixture on stagnant water to get rid of larvae,” he explained.

Regarding the identification of the dengue larva, Ishaq said it appears on the water surface after every few minutes, while other mosquitoes remain at the bottom of the water. He also said that the dengue larva moves quicker under light compared to other insects.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2012.