To
eradicate dengue, a multi-pronged campaign was on Tuesday launched
across six
Indian cities with public-private partnership.
As part of the two-month long
campaign 'U & Me Against Dengue', fumigation
drive, neem plantation and cleanliness drive would be kicked off in phases
across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad to combat the
spread of the mosquito-borne viral infection.
More
than 65,000 school children and 85,000 households would be involved in the
campaign, the organisers said.
Dengue
fever also known as breakbone fever,
is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include
fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is
similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into
the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood
plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood
pressure occurs.
Dengue
is transmitted by several species of
mosquito within the genus Aedes,
principally A. aegypti. The virus has five different types; infection with one
type usually gives lifelong immunity to that type, but only short-term immunity
to the others. Subsequent infection with a different type increases the risk of
severe complications. As there is no commercially available vaccine, prevention
is sought by reducing the habitat and the number of mosquitoes and limiting
exposure to bites.
Treatment
of acute dengue is supportive, using either oral or intravenous rehydration for
mild or moderate disease, and intravenous fluids and blood transfusion for more
severe cases. The number of cases of dengue fever has increased dramatically since
the 1960s, with around 50–390 million people infected yearly. Early
descriptions of the condition date from 1779, and its viral cause and the
transmission were figured out in the early 20th century. Dengue has become a
global problem since the Second World War and is endemic in more than 110
countries. Apart from eliminating the mosquitoes, work is ongoing on a vaccine,
as well as medication targeted directly at the virus.