DNCC to resume mosquito eradication campaign on Monday

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is going to start a special clean-up operation on Monday in a bid to protect city dwellers from dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.

The operation, set to be carried out between 9am and 12pm in the morning, will run till November 12, covering 54 wards under the DNCC.

DNCC announced the drive through a press release on Sunday.

Earlier, at a virtual meeting on Saturday evening, DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam called upon ward councilors, reserved seat councilors, media personnel and others from DNCC to make the combing operation a complete success in order to prevent mosquito-borne diseases amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In a video message to city residents on Saturday night, the mayor said: “Unseasonal rains and high temperatures have led to a sudden outbreak of dengue in the city. We are conducting special mosquito eradication campaigns to address the issue.”

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The release states that the clean-up operation will also include legal action against anyone found with Aedes mosquito larvae around their house.

DNCC will use a fourth generation larvicide Novaluron, which is effective, affordable, and environmentally friendly, for mosquito control. The larvicide stays effective for two to three months once used.

The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) conducted a research on Aedes mosquitoes in 2019, which found that the mosquitoes had developed a near complete resistance against some of the insecticides being used by the city corporations over the previous 10 years.

A total of 40 health centres in the area under the DNCC are also being used to test patients for dengue free of cost.

A total of 37 dengue patients are currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals across the country.

Some 627 people have been diagnosed with dengue since January 2020. Of them, 586 have recovered, according to the DGHS.

Bangladesh witnessed a massive dengue outbreak in 2019, killing 179 people.