Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 27: On Friday, July 26, 46 dengue cases were reported from Dakshina Kannada district. As many as 40 among them were from Mangaluru taluk, four from Bantwal taluk, and two cases relating to outside the district.

Till July 26, 97 dengue and 50 malaria cases were registered in Udupi district. As high incidence of dengue has been reported from Varamballi near Brahmavar, fogging was resorted to, and high vigil has been kept there. Dr Prashanth Bhat, vector borne diseases control officer of the district, said that the main aim is to destroy mosquito breeding centres and that Asha workers have been joining hands in this drive.

On Friday, mosquito breeding centres were identified and the concerned were fined Rs 35,000 in Pandeshwar and Bunder areas of the city.

Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner, Sasikanth Senthil, who has laid emphasis on destruction of the larvae of the mosquitoes, has decided to observe Sunday July 28 as Drive Day for dengue control. On that day, all the citizens have been called upon to clear stagnated water in their area either on the ground or in other things, and to identify and destroy larvae of the mosquitos. He gave this information at the media interaction programme organized on Friday at Patrika Bhavan. This programme was held under the aegis of Dakskhina Kannada district Working Journalists Union and Mangaluru Press Club.

Senthil said that similar Drive Days will also be organized in other taluks. He informed that the doctors have said that fogging is not an effective means for destroying dengue-causing mosquitos and destruction of larvae is the only useful method. He said that there is no provision for paying of government compensation towards deaths caused by infectious diseases, but that the possibility of paying compensation to dengue victims would be taken up with the government.