Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Mumbai Launches Aggressive Mosquito Drive as Malaria and Chikungunya Cases Climb

The intensified surveillance drive seeks early detection to curb transmission among vulnerable groups including children, pregnant women, other high-risk residents.

Image
Image
Image
(FILES) View a transgenic Aedes aegypti OX513A mosquito, created by Oxitec, in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil on October 26, 2016. Tens of thousands of genetically modified mosquitos are being released every week in Djibouti as the tiny Horn of Africa state experiments with a new weapon against an unprecedented malaria surge. In 2019, Abdoulilah Ahmed Abdi, health adviser to Djibouti's presidency, heard about a new invention being used primarily in Brazil against a dengue-carrying mosquito. The so-called Friendly mosquito, created by British biotechnology firm Oxitec, is a genetically modified male that carries a protein ensuring its offspring will not survive. Oxitec has released well over one billion GM mosquitos in Brazil and Florida in the United States, where it targets the dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti. Its studies indicate it can reduce wild populations by 90 percent or more. (Photo by Miguel SCHINCARIOL / AFP) (AFP)

Overview

  • Malaria cases reached 3,490 by July 14, up from 2,857 in the same period last year, while chikungunya infections jumped to 179 from 46.
  • Dengue infections declined to 734 from 966 but the civic body warned of a potential rebound as monsoon conditions continue.
  • Between July 1 and 14, the BMC surveyed over 670,000 homes and collected more than 101,000 blood samples to map fever hotspots.
  • Fogging operations have been intensified and thousands of breeding sites inspected and cleared to disrupt mosquito habitats.
  • Residents are being urged to eliminate standing water, apply repellents and wear protective clothing to reduce exposure to mosquito bites.