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Dengue to become doubly dangerous

Experts warn as 3 cases reported in city last week; DCC indifferent to looming threat

STAFF CoRRESPoNDENT
Experts have warned about a twofold rise in the number of dengue patients in the coming rainy reason in the city if spraying of larvaecide does not start soon.
Three people were reportedly diagnosed with dengue fever last week, all from the Mohammadpur and Rayerbazar areas of the city.
Although blood tests were not done, doctors say the patients bore dengue symptoms such as pains in the joints, high fever and dizziness.
In the last season, about 3,000 people were hospitalised across the country with dengue infection while about 150 others had died of the fever, mostly in Dhaka.
Surveillance and monitoring of dengue situation has not started yet to prevent the disease.
The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) engages surveillance teams comprising entomologists or experts on insects to measure the spread of Aedes mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus. But this year the corporation has not as yet allocated any budget for the teams.
As a result, the DCC has no idea of the extent of the threat, experts said.
Sources also said all the vehiclemounted Ultra Low Volume (ULV) machines to spray adulticides are now out of order and rusting in the DCC warehouse. No alternative has yet been proposed.
Sources at the DCC said the corporation has only a very small stock of larvaecide, the main ingredient in combating the Aedes mosquito.
The current stock would last a few weeks but purchase orders for new supplies have not been placed.
"The corporation will soon place orders to have a sufficient
stock," said an official of DCC.
Entomologists say the absence of early preparations may spur the growth of Aedes mosquito population.
"Since the city corporation is blind to the population of Aedes mosquito I fear we may find ourselves in a situation worse than the previous years'," said one entomologist, on condition that he not be named.
"The city corporation is taking preparations to stock enough larvaecide. Two separate tenders have been invited, one yesterday and the other day before," a DCC official said.
"We have ordered 2,500 litres of adulticide for aerial spraying. Two local agents offered Anvil, a widely used adulticide for killing Aedes while the other ofered Rescene 50E, an equally effective insecticide," he added.
The official said the DCC is yet to obtain permission to spray the insecticides, which are not registered in Bangladesh. However, the government can spray the insecticide without prior permission under special considerations.