The Hindu : National : Vector density on decline

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Saturday, Oct 14, 2006
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National

Vector density on decline

Special Correspondent

Fewer chikungunya cases in most States

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday said the vector density in dengue and chikungunya-affected States had declined thanks to an accelerated action plan.

P.L. Joshi, Director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), told reporters here that vector density was an important factor in the outbreak in several parts of the country.

"It is one of the major indices of the disease and random sampling and monitoring of the vector density has shown a decline between June and October," he said. While the NVBDCP was responsible for monitoring the vector density in the capital, elsewhere it was the State Governments.

Chikungunya showed a declining trend in all States except Delhi, where the number of cases had increased to 173, of which 24 were confirmed. Of a total of 1.34 million suspected cases, 14,006 were tested and 1,610 tested positive. No death due to chikungunya was reported. Incidence of fever had come down in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, while it continued in Alappuzha. "When we visited the State, the vector density there was high but we believe it would have come down due to several measures taken by the Government,'' Mr. Joshi said.

The nationwide figure for people affected by dengue had crossed 4,737. The number of deaths was 92, with mortalities reported from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours. In Delhi, the suspected cases rose from 1,186 to 1,276 but no deaths were reported.

On the management of the two diseases, Mr. Joshi said there was adequate supply of medicines, platelets and testing kits. The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry was receiving daily reports from hospitals. The National Institute of Virology had accelerated production of the testing kits.

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