Dengue dip sharper in hotspot Mahadevapura than in rest of Bengaluru

Bengaluru: There was a 40% dip in the incidence of dengue in Mahadevapura zone in Aug and zonal BBMP officials attribute it to their aggressive implementation of preventive measures.According to data from BBMP, the zone had reported 1,233 dengue cases in July, which dipped to 719 in Aug. While the downward trend in dengue cases was seen across the city in Aug, the fall is slightly steeper in Mahadevapura: the number of infections fell 37% in the city in Aug to 3,113 from 4,995 in July.Mahadevapura, however, continues to account for the highest number of dengue cases in the city, which has seen 12,366 positive cases till Sept 13 this year.BBMP officials of Mahadevapura zone said their preventive measures like daily house-to-house larva survey activities, establishment of a dengue war room for training and follow-up of cases and power spraying activities in major drains at Ramamurthynagar, Hormavu, and other wards across the zone yielded results. Dakshayani K, joint commissioner BBMP Mahadevapura, told TOI, "I went to the ground along with the zonal commissioner to check if the preventive measures were being taken care of. With intensive measures, we have been able to reduce the spread of dengue." Hotspots are being identified, and for every positive case, 100 surrounding houses are surveyed. Fever surveys are conducted thrice a week, along with spraying, fogging, source reduction activities, and the distribution of neem oil and DEET cream.A total of 7,124 vacant sites, 622 construction sites, 96 nurseries and 54 parks have been inspected to specially ensure they don't become breeding grounds. To prevent water stagnation in apartment complexes, ward-level apartment association and resident welfare association meetings are conducted weekly.Dr Visweswaraiah, BBMP health officer, Mahadevapura, said, "A very important factor that helped us control the spread was everyday follow-up on our activities."How outbreak is tackled- Over 1,000 students volunteer as dengue warriors- 212 public awareness jathas conducted- Under Guppy and Gambusia Fish drive, about 10,000 fish released into major lakes, water storage tanks, drums and other major breeding sites- 10 beds reserved for dengue patients at KR Pura general hospital- Awareness drives at police stations, bus depots and factories- Rs 20,500 fine collected from owners of major breeding larva sites- Larva collected at the ward level sent for genomic sequencing on weekly basisGet the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and gift idea !