Rain could lead to fresh dengue spurt, say experts

KOLKATA: The depression-induced rain in Kolkata could aggravate the dengue outbreak, fear experts and doctors. Sporadic showers, that have refused to relent since Thursday evening, were ideal for the collection of fresh water that serve as breeding grounds for the aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the virus. Since July, every time sporadic showers have hit Kolkata, the subsequent weeks have seen a spurt in the number of dengue patients, they pointed out.

The virus could remain active in the city for at least a month more, said

Irfaan Akhtar

, head of microbiology at Fortis Hospital. “Light showers like the ones we are having now, invariably lead to collection of water that breeds larvae. Also, this minor temperature fluctuation induced by the rain helps keep the virus active and potent. When the mercury hovers between 30 and 35 degrees, the virus remains effective. So, I suspect that the outbreak will receive a fresh impetus,” said Akhtar.

It has been difficult to check the breeding of aedis aegypti larvae due to the proliferation of construction sites where rain water keeps collecting, pointed out Debashish Saha, senior consultant at

AMRI Hospital

. “It is one of the reasons why areas like New Town,

Salt Lake

and places along the EM Bypass have been the worst affected. Every rainy spell has worsened the dengue situation at these places. It could be no different this time,” said Saha. Only a drop in temperature could end the outbreak, felt Akhtar.

“There have been deaths in November which shows that the virus has been surviving longer. So, we still have a long way to go and there is enough time for a fresh spurt in the number of affected,” said Arindam Biswas, consultant, RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS).