Dengue in Mumbai: There was a time when the monsoons came and the mosquito-borne disease was rampant. But now, thanks to climate change, mosquitoes don't have to wait for monsoons to breed. All year round, mosquitoes have the opportunity to spread diseases like malaria, chikungunya, and dengue. From January to May this year, 92 cases of dengue have been reported in Vadodara alone. A significant number of dengue cases have also been detected in cities like Ahmedabad and Anand. In a metropolis like Mumbai, the situation is worse.
Which mosquito causes dengue?
Humans are infected with the dengue virus through the bite of a female Aedes aegypti mosquito. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in waterlogged areas. After ten days, the chicks come out of the eggs. The hatchlings become adult mosquitoes and contribute to dengue epidemics. The life cycle of a mosquito consists of four stages: egg-larva-pupa-adult, of which the first three are in water, so it is imperative to eliminate them in water.
Earlier, dengue was spread only during monsoon, but now dengue disease is seen in non-monsoon season as well. There are multiple reasons for this.
Causes of Perennial Dengue Spread
Mosquitoes are also changing their lifestyle due to the changes in the environment in the last few years. Mosquitoes that transmit dengue and other similar viruses are now found throughout the year. In earlier times, the rainy season used to last for four months. After that, there was no sign of rain for the whole year. For the last few years, unseasonal rains have been falling in the winter and summer seasons as well, due to which the water puddles are filling up. If mosquitoes get even a little water, they lay eggs in it and start raising their families. Hence mosquito infestation is seen throughout the year.
Dengue takes Mumbai hostage
As the impact of dengue is seen more in the metropolis of Mumbai, let's understand dengue only in the context of that city. In the year 2023 alone, 4400 cases of dengue were reported in Mumbai. Nowhere in Maharashtra has there been such a large number of dengue cases? By May in 2024, the number of dengue in Mumbai has crossed 285. Then the question is, why is there so much dengue in the metropolis?
The biggest problem of Mumbai with a population of more than two crores is its population. Due to the dense population, prey is available to mosquitoes. Due to reasons like the filth of slums, and standing water in open spaces, mosquitoes find breeding ground. In monsoons, tarpaulin is placed on the roof of the house with sheets or tubes to prevent rainwater from entering the house, in which the mosquitoes get the opportunity to lay their eggs in the accumulated water. If that water dries up, the eggs survive and come out of the eggs when the water is filled again.
Like malaria, dengue is also a man-made epidemic. Urbanization without systematic planning also leads to a rise in mosquito-borne diseases. Over 60,000 construction projects are currently underway in Mumbai alone. When a building is being built, water is always needed for its work. No one cares to see the condition of the water kept in the tanks, due to which the mosquitoes getaway.
The geographical position of Mumbai was also a factor. Located very close to the sea, this city has a humid climate. Because of the extreme heat during the day, the coolness at night, and the monsoons that occur in any season, diseases like dengue plague Mumbai throughout the year. It is believed that mosquitoes breed in the slums, but even the residents of posh areas do not realize that places like flower pots kept in the balconies of their flats, and plants grown in society gardens are also inhabited by mosquitoes.
What efforts are being made in Mumbai to control dengue?
In the last twenty years, there has been a steady increase in dengue cases across India, including Mumbai. The incidence of this case is particularly high in urban areas and densely populated areas. National Dengue Day is celebrated on 16 May every year by the 'Ministry of Health and Family Welfare'. Various programs are held on that day to make people aware of dengue, but they are not enough.
The Public Health Department of Mumbai is doing remarkable and exemplary work in this regard. DDT is the most readily available weapon to control the spread of mosquitoes, but it is now losing its effectiveness. A new generation of mosquitoes, which have grown thick-skinned after years of eating DDT, have developed resistance to it so that DDT is no longer able to spread mosquitoes as effectively as before. New ways have been tried for this.
A unique weapon: the Eco Bio Trap
A sachet (small pouch) is placed in a medium-sized bucket made of cardboard. The vial is filled with an 'attractant' that 'invites' the female mosquito to lay eggs. As soon as the bucket is filled with water, the attractant starts working. The female mosquito comes and lays eggs in the bucket, but due to the 'ideal ingredient' in the bucket, mosquitoes do not hatch from the eggs. This mosquito-killing device is named Eco Bio Trap. One trap covers 400-450 square feet and lasts for one month.
Conventional weapons are also being tried
To make people aware of the mosquito-borne disease, employees of the Public Health Department of Mumbai go door-to-door to explain it to people, take blood samples and test people so that the disease can be caught at an early stage. An app named 'Mumbai Against Dengue' was also launched in 2022, through which awareness is being spread among people.
The number of reporting centers of Public Health Department was only 22 in 2023 which has been increased to 880 till now, due to which more dengue cases are reported but less patients die due to effective operation.
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