The Indian Express        06.12.2013

MC health wing to continue fogging till December

With city hospitals and private clinics still getting dengue patients, the health department has issued directions to the municipal corporation's health wing to continue fogging till the first week of December ends. Normally fogging ends by mid-November but high temperatures during the day have led officials to continue fogging even in December.

Dr Anil Verma, district epidemiologist, said, "These days the afternoon temperature is between 20-22 degrees celsius as against 17 degrees last year. It is optimum for growth of anopheles aedes larva mosquito that causes dengue. We have asked the MC to continue with fogging which normally lasts till mid-November or third week of November."

Dr Verma blamed the high temperature, which caused the larvae to develop into mosquitoes, for the dengue cases still being reported from city hospitals.Around 1,019 dengue cases have been reported so far from city hospitals, while seven persons have died. However, this number does not include patients who were treated at local clinics or were took to homeopathy or ayurvedic treatments. On an average, about 4-6 patients are testing positive for dengue even now, according to Dr Verma.