Imphal, July 13 2017: Altogether 34 cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Dengue have been confirmed at different places of Manipur since sometime back .
Health Services Director Dr N Lokendro, quoting reports collected till July 10, informed that 18 cases of Dengue and 16 cases of JE have been confirmed .
The confirmed Dengue cases were reported from six villages of Churachandpur district and one village each in Kakching and Imphal East districts .
JE cases have been confirmed at six villages of Churachandpur district, three villages of Imphal West district and one village each of Chandel, Kakching and Thoubal districts .
However, there has been no new case of JE or Dengue since July 10 .
Meanwhile district authorities have taken up necessary control measures including fogging exercise and mass awareness programmes at the places where JE and Dengue cases have been confirmed, Dr Lokendro said .
Other officials of Health Services maintained that there has been no concrete report of death due to either Dengue or JE .
Yet, there was a report of a boy from Shanting village of Churachandpur district dying due to high fever.
But the boy did not die at Shanting but at Churachandpur where he had shifted .
According to the officials, the mosquito species which spreads Dengue are concentrated within 50 metres of the places where they are bred.
Even if they fly to other places for laying eggs, they come back to their original places .
Usually, this mosquito species bites people in the morning and evening.
As such, fogging exercise is carried out in morning and evening within 100 m radius of the places where their presence has been confirmed .
Water stored in vessels but abandoned for days at these places where Dengue has been confirmed is searched and poured out for almost 10 days.
If any one is suffering from fever, he/she is checked promptly, claimed the officials .
It is essential to go for necessary medical tests if any one is suffering from high fever .
There is adequate facility for screening and undertaking confirmatory tests for Dengue in Manipur .
Usually two/three beds are laid separately in the extreme corner of a hospital ward where people infected by Dengue are treated and the corner is known as Dengue Corner .
A separate nurse is assigned for each bed occupied by Dengue infected people and the beds are covered with mosquito nets even during day time .
Talking about JE, the officials said that it is much harder to take effective preventive measures against JE as the mosquito species which spreads JE moves around for 40 Kms .
Usually, JE is spread to mankind after mosquitoes bite cranes and swines which are already carrying germs and they again bite man.
As such, it is crucial to maintain smooth coordination between Health Services and Veterinary Services to control JE .
In Manipur, JE is spread by Culex species of mosquito which is found in the State since the past.
But all Culex mosquitoes do not spread JE.
It is only those Culex mosquitos which have bitten germ-infected swines and wild birds like cranes.
At the moment, fogging exercise is being carried within 2 Km radius of the places where JE cases have been confirmed.
But it is more important to avoid environments which may facilitate laying of eggs by Culex mosquitoes, said the Health Services officials .
The present season where paddy fields and vacant places are filled with stagnant water is a good time for Culex mosquito to lay eggs .
Yet there is a way to prevent them from laying eggs.
Using Neem covered Urea in paddy fields can prevent Culex mosquitoes from laying eggs.
Even though Neem covered Urea is not used in Manipur, using water boiled with Neem can be useful.
Culex mosquitoes cannot lay eggs in water bodies covered with duckweed.
Even if they somehow lay eggs, their larvae cannot breathe through duckweed .
Another source informed that Aedes aegypti which spreads Dengue is different from other mosquito species.
A little disturbance is enough for Aedes aegypti to fly away from one person and bite another nearby person.
As such, when a person is infected by Dengue, all the family members usually get infected .
Unlike other mosquito species, Aedes aegypti is not active at night.
It is active only in morning and evening.
As such, one must take due caution to avoid mosquito bite during day time too, added the source.
Source: The Sangai Express
