Dengue threatening India!

09/Oct/2006: Dengue fever, an acute feverish disease, transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, is threatening the second most populous country in the world, with many states in the country reporting outbreaks of this disease.

Dengue has so far killed 55 people across India and more than 3000 cases of this disease have been reported across the country. Sudden onset of fever, sever headache, muscle and joint pains and brightly colored rashes in the limb or the chest, are common symptoms of this disease, which can turn fatal if not treated immediately.

New Delhi, the capital city of India, has been the worst affected in this outbreak, with over 20 deaths and hundreds of people being infected with this deadly tropical disease. An estimate released by the Press Trust of India, says that 22 persons have died of this disease in New Delhi and over 900 are being treated for this disease in many hospitals across the capital.

The intensity of the current outbreak has sent the health workers in New Delhi on a pesticide spraying spree, in the crowded neighborhoods of the capital, to contain the outbreak. Municipal workers went door-to-door to check for possible breeding grounds of the Aedes mosquito and sprayed the trouble spots with insecticides. Fogging machines mounted on bicycles sprayed clouds of pesticide in the congested suburbs, to kill the mosquito larvae.

Clearing the breeding grounds of the Aedes mosquito is the most effective way to contain an outbreak. These mosquitoes usually breed in the stagnant water in flower vases, uncovered barrels, buckets, discarded tires and at times even in the toilet bowls. In spite of the efforts taken by the administration and the local communities to prevent an outbreak, dengue outbreak keeps occurring every year in India and dies off at the end of the mosquito breeding period in November.

Further Reading
http://www.vaccine-info.com