While the H1N1 influenza continues to wreak havoc in the city, the aedes mosquito is likely to increase health problems of residents. Health department has sounded an alarm for increasing number of dengue and other vector- borne diseases and asked officials and civic body to be ready to fight against the dengue mosquitoes. “We have started preparations to fight dengue and malaria. This time, we don’t want to leave any stone unturned to fight the killer disease,” acting chief medical and health officer Dr Hemant Dwivedi said.
Though residents are continuously falling prey to H1N1, the health department, which failed to prevent the disease, started preparations to control dengue. Health department has also issued an advisory for people for spreading awareness about menace of disease and to prevent them. “As swine flu claimed several lives in the city this year, it is also expected that vector-borne diseases would create havoc if suitable steps are not taken in advance.
We have launched drive to make people aware of disease through announcement and advertisements,” Dr Dwivedi said. “One of the reasons for expected dengue attack is increasing heat. The city had witnessed low rainfall in last rainy season and people would store fresh water in summers, which will help in breeding of aedes mosquito,” the CMHO said.
ANOTHER SWINE FLU DEATH REPORTED
With one more death reported on Tuesday, deadly swine flu has continued to scare people in the city. With this, the total number of deaths in the city reached 61 this year. As many as 206 people have tested positive so far and health department had sent 861 samples for testing to All India Institute of Medical Science, Bhopal. The patients succumbed to the disease on Tuesday was 45-year-old woman of Gauri Nagar in Indore. She was under treatment at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Science since April 18.