What can India do about dengue fever?
BMJ 2013; 346 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f643 (Published 04 February 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;346:f643
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Dengue epidemics are a public health challenge in French Polynesia (FP) as in India. It seems clear that the transmission of dengue is facilitated by inadequate waste disposal and dumping. Also the intensification of human relationships, communications, and travels between the Polynesian islands and other foreign countries make it difficult to control the spread of the disease. This year the virus of Zika, a mosquito-transmitted disease, was detected for the first time in FP and the hypothesis is that it has been imported from another country by plane. Zika epidemics in FP occurred simultaneously with an international sports gathering (the Tahiti Beach Soccer World Cup) that was associated with increased plane traffic towards and from FP.
Competing interests: No competing interests
It is very true that dengue vectors breed in pots, uncovered buckets and improperly discarded tyres and toilet tanks, but in addition breeding has also been found in cut bamboo and even plant axils. Dengue vectors are basically tree hole breeders and nowadays their breeding has been found associated with various developments including constructional activities. Dr Neeru has mentioned that these cannot breed in discarded plastic bags but in our recent study we have found breeding in discarded plastic and polythene bags in the Guwahati area. These plastics are often filled with rain water and serve as a breeding source for the dengue vector. In addition they also breed in the slits of GI sheets used to cover houses.
Competing interests: No competing interests
I want to draw attention to the fact that Dengue fever is transmitted by Aedes Aegypti, which grows in stagnant water in water containers like flower vases, uncovered barrels, buckets, and discarded tyres, but the most dangerous areas are wet shower floors and toilet tanks, as they allow the mosquitos to breed in the residence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_aegypti). Most of the plastic waste from households consists of dorsoventrally compressed plastic bags which are now lawfully banned too. These plastic bags are not filled with water, so the mosquitoes cannot breed in these.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Wherever plastic segregation has been applied successfully in India, No case of Dengue or Chikunguenea is reported there. The menace of inadequate waste disposal, unscientific dumping at landfill sites, is making a home for Dengue. Not only in Metro cities but in small towns & villages too the mixed garbage heaps can be found everywhere. This is catering to mosquitoes and carcinogenic leeches.
Government machinery of Health only looks for medical treatment and overlooks this important causative factor, hence there is no expected decrease in epidemics of Dengue in the near future.
A proposed model of effective waste segregation in and outside the house by providing 2 dustbins at home and installing proposed model in street, is not being applied, hence this menace may continue.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Re: What can India do about dengue fever?
Poor mosquito control due to widespread corruption also exists in Greece.
Dengue fever, rabies, West Nile virus encephalitis, malaria, are re-established in Greece after decades of complete eradication!
Polio, is next!
References
http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c5496/rapid-responses
http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3124/rapid-responses
http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e6401/rapid-responses
http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e5633/rapid-responses
http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e6019/rapid-responses
http://www.bmj.com/content/331/7511/255.1?tab=responses
http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2935/rapid-responses
Competing interests: No competing interests