Amritsar intensifies dengue prevention as 11 hotspot areas identified

As Health Department teams across all districts have been directed to intensify efforts to curb the spread of dengue, Amritsar Civil Surgeon Dr Satinderjit Bajaj on Friday launched a dengue awareness campaign across all hotspot areas of the city. Special fogging and spraying teams have been deployed, and the public has been urged to remain vigilant about the presence of dengue larvae.

Under the campaign, 15 teams were dispatched from the office of the Civil Surgeon, Amritsar. These teams visited all identified hotspot areas to inspect for dengue and chikungunya larvae and destroyed them on the spot wherever found.

Dr Bajaj said that 11 hotspot areas have been identified across the city. He stressed that stagnant water creates ideal conditions for mosquito breeding. “It is the responsibility of all of us to cooperate with the Health Department to prevent mosquito breeding and ensure that water does not accumulate anywhere. Preventing mosquito breeding is the most important step to avoid dengue. Wearing full-sleeved clothes and using mosquito repellent creams can also help protect us,” he added.

District Epidemiologist Dr Harjot Kaur explained that dengue is a viral fever caused by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. “This mosquito lays eggs in clean water and within a week, these eggs develop into larvae and then into adult mosquitoes. Therefore, the dengue campaign is carried out every Friday to break the mosquito’s life cycle and eliminate it at the larval stage,” she said.

District MEIO Amardeep Singh, while addressing residents, said the common symptoms of dengue include severe headache, high fever, muscle and joint pain, pain behind the eyes, vomiting, and bleeding from the nose, mouth, or gums. He advised that anyone experiencing these symptoms should immediately visit the nearest government hospital for free testing and treatment.

Officials said that dengue and chikungunya cases reported this year are lower compared to previous years.