Outdoor surveillance key to dengue prevention, finds study

A recent study has indicated that the BBMP’s dengue prevention measures must include continuous surveillance of outdoor areas.

At present, World Health Organisation (WHO) protocol asks for municipalities to detect and destroy mosquito breeding grounds in a neighbourhood only in the case of a dengue outbreak, focusing instead on indoor surveillance — breeding sites within houses.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Tata Institute of Genetics and Society (TIGS), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) from February 2021 to June 2022, examined 8,717 container breeding sites. In total, the researchers detected 1,619 mosquito larvae belonging to 16 different species.

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The dominant species among these were Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, which were significantly more abundant in artificial habitats than in natural environments. Grinding stones and storage containers were identified as preferred breeding sites for the Aedes species.

"We observed a simultaneous increase in mosquito larval prevalence and reported a peak in dengue cases in the city,” explained Farah Ishtiaq, a co-author of the study and principal scientist at TIGS. “Our study encompassed areas with varying levels of urbanisation, and we found sufficient habitat to potentially trigger localised dengue outbreaks in specific pockets."

The issue spans across both high- and low-income areas, with people creating numerous mosquito-breeding sites by careless disposal of materials.

"As Aedes mosquitoes are present everywhere and remain active during the day, anyone can be susceptible to their bites. Therefore, continuous surveillance of all community areas is necessary," Farah added.