Most common mosquito breeding spot in Gurugram homes is water cooler: Survey

A year after Gurugram saw a spike in dengue cases, a survey by the Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) showed that the most common breeding site for mosquitoes was the water cooler inside most homes in the city. Around 38% of the 5,000 houses where breeding was spotted were found harbouring mosquito larvae in water coolers.

The survey began in April this year and covered around 2.8 lakh houses in the four zones of the city till July 10. Of the 5,000 houses where mosquito larvae were found, 1,812 houses had larvae breeding inside water coolers, and 1,420 houses had larvae breeding in stagnant water in containers, water pots and flower pots. Other common sources of breeding were water tanks and open pits outside houses. According to officials, 1,242 house owners were served notices; however, none was penalised. Last year, the total count of dengue cases had touched 93 — the highest in the past three years. In 2017, the number was 66, in 2016, it was 86.

The survey also revealed that around 4,000 of the 5,000 houses where breeding was found were harbouring the female Anopheles mosquito, the primary vector of malaria. The rest were larvae of the Aedes mosquito, the principal vector of dengue virus. “Around 85% of the larvae detected was of the Anopheles mosquito, which breeds fast in open stagnated water,” Dr Brahmdeep Sandhu, chief medical officer, MCG, said.

First Published: Jul 21, 2019 02:47 IST