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Panaji: Dengue is no longer a seasonal disease that surfaces only during the monsoons but it is now a perennial phenomenon, said deputy director of health services in charge of the national vector borne disease control programme Dr Kalpana Mahatme.
“Dengue is no longer seasonal. It has become perennial. Once our transmission season gets over, we receive an influx of tourists as well as labour from other states. Climate change brings with it unseasonal rains. It is another factor contributing to it. We now have to be careful of dengue all year long,” Mahatme told TOI.Last year, Goa saw dengue cases even during the non-transmission season.Although the main transmission season in Goa is over, it is not over in other states and health centres have been asked to check construction sites for labourers who may be coming in with fever.“We have instructed our health centres to concentrate on migrant settlement areas, the rented population and construction sites,” she said. “As the vector is already present in Goa, we cannot take it easy. We have to continue our preventive measures throughout the year so that we don’t get dengue cases in our homes.“We have to be careful not to allow even small amounts of water to stagnate in and around our homes — in flower pots, aquatic plants, in stored water, in bathrooms, under the fridge, etc, as these form breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” Mahatme said.
She said people should also keep their surroundings and compounds clean and free of receptacles.“Today even domestic help comes in from other states and if the vector is present, we could see a cluster of dengue cases,” said the deputy director of health services.People with fever must not wait at home, but get themselves checked to rule out dengue. she said.DHS reported 11 dengue cases in Goa in Oct from Siolim, Curtorim, Pernem, Candolim, Colvale, Porvorim and Bali.Between Jan and Oct, Goa has seen 84 cases this year compared to 511 cases last year which saw a surge in dengue cases.
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