For the residents of Doon valley reeling under the menace of dengue this year, the large-scale bursting of crackers on Diwali has come as a blessing in disguise. Apart from increasing the pollution level, the smoke caused by cracker bursting is known to be fatal for the mosquitoes. The smoke enveloping the city these days caused by Diwali crackers and nip in the air created a situation of hope for the beleaguered district health department facing flak for failing to control the spread of dengue.
The district vector-borne diseases officer of Dehradun, Subhash Joshi, said that the smoke generated from the bursting of crackers on Diwali has an effect which is similar to the fogging of an area. “The smoke generated by crackers on Diwali night is just like a large scale fogging conducted simultaneously in all parts of the city. Like in fogging the mosquitoes coming in contact of this smoke would get killed,’’ he said.
Joshi also added that the decrease in temperature too would have a controlling effect on breeding of the mosquitoes. He, however, added that the eggs laid by the mosquito could still be dangerous as they can become larvae and adult.
Dengue is a viral infection spread by the mosquito Aedes Aezypti popularly known as Tiger Mosquito.
The symptoms of the disease are persistent high fever, rashes, headache and pain in the joints.
In the acute cases the platelets number decrease drastically which may prove fatal for the patient.
In Uttarakhand the disease is more prevalent in Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts.
Ways to prevent Dengue
1 Don’t allow water to get collected in and near houses.
2. Regularly decant fridges, coolers, pots or cans.
3. Spread kerosene or other oils on small water bodies which is effective to destroy the larvae of Aedes mosquito.
4. Inform district health authorities for fogging to kill mosquitoes.
5. Aedes strikes during day time and flies near ground level so wear full sleeved cloths at work places.
6. Immediately seek medical advice when someone develops fever.
