Hyderabad: One of the biggest threats facing humanity is the mosquito, which is spreading far and wide causing malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other vector borne diseases. The mosquitoes and the microorganisms they carry piggyback with tourists and business managers around the world putting at risk even those countries which do not have these diseases.
Malaria and dengue are the biggest threats, says the World Health Organisation on World Health Day observed on April 7. As the scourge is no longer limited to a single nation, the WHO has issued directives to control diseases, and to take measures to check mosquito breeding.
Dr K. Subkhar, associate professor at Chest Hospital explained, “While AP had only minimal incidence in 2013, it is very important that measures to control mosquitoes are carried out properly. In AP, 15,000 cases of malaria and 5,000 cases of dengue were reported in 2013. The country had 227 million malaria cases and 6.27 lakh deaths in 2013. The problem is that there are too many unreported cases. Hence the data is available is not accepted.”
A senior pediatrician from a corporate hospital explained, “The municipal administration is not ready to accept data supplied by private hospitals. They claim that we are trying to create a scare. It was only when a very senior IAS officer’s grandchild was admitted with dengue did the administration listen. The 2013 campaign of fogging, anti-larvae operations and removal of stagnant water has helped. But it must continue as only that can save us from mosquitoes.”
It is also important to complete treatment. Dr Suneetha Narareddy says, “There are patients who have resistance to drugs. In these cases, the treatment gets prolonged. The patient must be told to complete the treatment. Otherwise the parasites will live in their blood.”
