14/06/2017
PUNE: The
threat of mosquito-borne diseases continues to loom large over the abutting
areas of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Pune's Lohegaon
Airport.
An entomological survey carried out by the officials of the
Union health ministry in April showed considerable presence of Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes' larvae in 400m radius outside these two airports. The team,
however, confirmed that no breeding spots were found inside the airports.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the vector that transmits diseases like dengue,
chikungunya and Zika. Officials said water accumulation in discarded coconut
shells, plastic bottles and other scrap material in these areas provide fitting
ground for mosquito breeding.
The Aedes larval surveys were carried out to assess the
disease threat and suggest preventive measures. It involved container index —
the percentage of containers where larvae are found.
"A container index of more than 10% is considered
alarming and problematic. Container index outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji
International Airport was 9.4% while it was 7.1% outside the Lohegaon Airport
in Pune. This shows considerable breeding of Aedes mosquito, which can touch
the alarming level if immediate containment measures are not initiated," a
senior official from Union heath ministry's National Vector Borne Disease
Control Programme (NVBDCP) told pune-news.com.
Confirming the survey findings, Vasant Gokak, senior regional
director of the Pune regional office of the Union health ministry, said,
"The entomological survey was carried out at Mumbai airport and Pune
airport between April 23 and April 30. NVBDCP officials had come down for this
purpose. The team did find presence of aedes mosquito breeding outside, but
there was no breeding spot on the airport premises."
When contacted, Anjali Sabne, deputy medical officer of
health, Pune Municipal Corporation, said, "We have already
intensified containment measures including spraying anti-larvicides to destroy
breeding in areas outside the airport in Pune."
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