Dhaka:Twenty-nine wards under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) have been marked as high-risk areas for dengue transmission following an Aedes larvae survey conducted by city authorities.
According to United News of Bangladesh, DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam revealed these findings during a press briefing at the Nagar Bhaban auditorium. The survey, which took place from September 27 to October 8, assessed mosquito density across 75 wards, identifying 29 as high-risk, 28 as medium-risk, and 18 as low-risk.
The survey involved inspecting 2,250 houses, with 30 randomly selected from each ward. The inspection team, consisting of 36 field workers from DSCC and the Directorate General of Health Services, used the Kobo Toolbox app to collect data. Aedes larvae or pupae were discovered in 322 houses, with significant breeding sites including plastic buckets, plastic drums, water stored in basements, and flower tubs.
High-risk wards include several across different zones, such as Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10, with Green Model Town in Zone 7 also being identified. Zones 6 and 8 have no wards classified as high-risk. The survey found larvae in various types of buildings, with the highest prevalence in independent houses and multistoried buildings.
The administrator highlighted that none of the wards previously classified as high-risk appeared in this year's list, attributing this change to intensified DSCC activities. He emphasized the importance of public awareness and encouraged clearing stagnant water weekly to reduce dengue transmission by up to 80 percent.
Additionally, DSCC plans to clean latrines at all primary schools in the city every Saturday as part of its preventive measures. The corporation reported 10 dengue hospitalizations from its areas on November 3 and recorded 16 deaths, though overall hospital admission figures in Dhaka include patients from across the country.