NEW DELHI: With dengue cases continuing to surge in Delhi, municipal corporations are dealing with the worst dengue outbreak seen in the past three years.

Over 3,000 domestic breeding checkers have been deployed by all three corporations to check the outbreak. East Delhi Municipal Corporation has identified 16 areas as red zones with high mosquito density. Ajay Handa, additional medical health officer, EDMC, said that intensive fogging has been added to the routine rounds and additional workers have been deployed to check tanks, coolers, etc., for accumulation of water with mosquito larvae.

EDMC has deployed 830 individuals for the operations with 256 spray pumps, two big tankers, and six small tankers for fogging.

An official in South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s public health department said that there is enough Cyphenothrin pesticide which is mixed with petroleum-based products to spray areas, adding that there has been an increase in the number of fogging demands and intensive measures are being taken.

SDMC has deployed 1,120 domestic breeding checkers with 1,200 spray pumpsand 490 hand-held fogging machines.

The fumigation is done in two shifts, one at 5 am to 7 am and the other around the same time in the evening.

EDMC is dealing with another major issue of patients coming from Uttar Pradesh with fake addresses. Handa said that this leads to a problem as they are unable to locate the exact place of residence to eliminate the mosquitos. He added that hospitals should have better processes in place to confirm the addresses.

North Delhi Municipal Corporation, with the highest number of cases, has 1,533 domestic breeding checkers.

Source: ET Healthworld