KMC launches ready reckoner on how to combat dengue, malaria

After successfully combating dengue and malaria in the city for the past few years, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has brought out a book on the do's and don'ts to eradicate the disease in the future.

The book in Bengali Masharey Koro Utshe Binash,(destroy mosquito at source) has been written by Debashis Biswas, Chief Vector Control Officer of KMC. Biswas has been associated with the KMC's Health department for more than two decades and is one of the chief decision makers to combat dengue and malaria. It may be mentioned that there was not a single dengue death reported in the city in 2016 because of the measures taken up by KMC.

After becoming Mayor in 2010, Sovan Chatterjee gave emphasis to combat spread of two mosquito-borne diseases, dengue and malaria. The city was divided into several zones and the dengue and malaria affected areas were identified. The KMC has decided to conduct year-long anti-larvae drives under the leadership of Atin Ghosh, member, Mayor-in-Council (Health).

The KMC has also set up a mosquito research laboratory, first-of-its-kind in eastern India. There are 15 dengue detection centres in Kolkata where blood tests for dengue (NS1 and IgM) are done free of cost. All the 144 ward health units have been transformed into free treatment centres for common ailments. Drive for detection and destruction of mosquito breeding sources using data bank by the KMC is also new in the country. The KMC is carrying out a year-long campaign to make people aware of the disease.

The book gives some startling information like those who consume too much food or use perfume or body sprays heavily or use scented soaps are targeted by female mosquitoes. People whose blood group is O get more mosquito bites than those belonging to the A and B blood groups. Female mosquitoes prefer deep red, deep blue and black colours.

Malaria-bearing mosquito Anopheles Stephensi prefers to breed in rainwater more than KMC supplied chlorinated water. Without water, eggs of dengue-bearing mosquito Aedes Aegypti can survive for three years. Dengue cases are on the rise in India and the scenario will turn from bad to worse due to global warming, climate change and other reasons. To combat dengue and malaria everyone needs to remain aware throughout the year.