Dengue Prevention Drive Scaled Up Amid Unseasonal Rains

KOLKATA: Following the recent spell of unseasonal rain, the West Bengal Health Department has ordered a “war-footing” dengue prevention drive across Kolkata and Bidhannagar. Vector-control teams have been seen scanning rooftop gardens and construction sites, which are becoming breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The city has already recorded a 15% rise in suspected fever cases compared to the same period last year.

Hospitals in the city have been directed to maintain a dedicated “Fever Clinic” and ensure the availability of platelets. The KMC is using drones to inspect stagnant water on the terraces of high-rise buildings in the EM Bypass and Salt Lake areas. Public health experts have warned that the combination of high humidity and intermittent rain is the “perfect storm” for an early-season dengue outbreak.