Goa govt warns of dengue mosquitoes breeding in housing complexes

PANAJI: Last year, the health services were kept on toes with a lot of dengue cases emerging from horticulture farms and outskirts of towns where migrant labourers resided, but this year, substantial cases are found in housing complexes, besides those from the usual suspect areas.

Dengue mosquitoes were found breeding in unused commodes, flowers pots, decorative plants kept in drawing rooms, containers or buckets left to collect water from air conditioners, and in some houses, even old refrigerators having a small container attached to collect water, had larvae, said Dr Kalpana Mahatme, health officer in-charge of national vector borne disease control programme in Goa.
While Goa reported fewer cases, 100 from January to July-end vis-a-vis the same period in 2022, Mahatme said, they are still worried with other states seeing a big rise in dengue cases. Majority of Goa’s workforce employed at fishing jetties, hospitality sector and construction sites, comes from other states.
The flow of labourers would rise post monsoon as construction and other businesses gain momentum. “With a delayed monsoon, we got extra time to up our preparedness, but we want people to check that there is no scope for mosquitoes breeding in the drawing rooms or elsewhere,” she said.
The health services, she said, has not staggered in taking source reduction drives. When a dengue case is reported, health workers visit the house or area, to detect dengue breeding if any, but they can’t be expected to inspect people toilets or mini gardens in their houses.
“In one flat, we uncovered larvae in the bottle that had a money plant growing, when we went there after dengue cases were reported from that house, ” she said.
In July last year, a total of 50 cases were found, last month 30 cases were detected, but the health services have not reduced its surveillance.
“We check fishing jetties where migrants are employed. At Cutbona jetty, we test 450-500 workers. Many have fever when they reach Goa, and test positive for dengue. Some dengue patients showing symptoms of worsening, need hospitalisation,” she said.
Mahatme said they have received help from civic bodies and zonal officers in conducting the drives.
Schools, she said, have also been instructed to appoint nodal officers to lookout for mosquito breeding in school premises, and prompt measures are taken. If a student reports sick and has a temperature, the school needs to inform the health centre in its area.
While the state had reported some cases of chikungunya last year, there’s been none so far, she said.