Dengue cases witnessed an increase in Manipur last year as it was recorded the highest in Manipur, while authorities are indicating an existing link with the changing climate and erratic weather patterns in the state over the past few years.
According to data issued by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Porompat, Imphal East district, a rise in temperature was seen. In the last three years, a temperature of 33.94 degrees Celsius was recorded in Imphal West district, while 34.54 degrees Celsius was recorded in Imphal East district in the month of July.
In the following year, 2023, the temperature in Imphal West was recorded at 35.92 degrees Celsius, and the same temperature was recorded in Imphal East district in April.
Regarding the cases of dengue found in the two districts, a total of 503 dengue cases were detected in 2022. Among the positive cases, Imphal West recorded 63 cases, and Imphal East recorded 57 cases. In the same year, the highest number of dengue cases was recorded in Tengnoupal district with 239 positive cases.
The following year, the number of dengue cases in Imphal West district drastically increased, recording the highest number with 1,639 cases, followed by Imphal East district with 521 positive cases.
In the current year, 2024, a total of 81 dengue cases have been detected till July. The State Directorate of Health Services, in collaboration with the state Malaria Department, has been taking necessary measures to control the spread of dengue.
Dengue is a viral disease caused by the bite of a particular female mosquito named ‘Aedes aegypti’.
In an exclusive interview, the state malaria officer Dr S Priyokumar told the Imphal Free Press that the sudden rise in dengue cases could be due to various factors including unplanned urbanization, water supply mismanagement, and climate change in Manipur over the past few decades.
Earlier, the disease occurred as a seasonal viral illness. However, with the rising temperatures, dengue cases are found for a longer period throughout the whole year, he added.
Responding to the IFP, he said that fogging by mixing diesel oil with ‘deltamethrin’ and spraying diluted ‘Temephos’ chemicals were practiced in vulnerable areas or at suspected mosquito breeding places to prevent the spread of the viral disease.
Mass spraying and fogging by using ‘Temephos’ chemicals were widely carried out by the people, considering that these measures would prevent the spread of the virus.
‘Temephos’ is used to kill mosquitoes at the egg stage before they turn into adult mosquitoes. However, the massive and frequent use of this chemical as a precautionary measure can affect the environment by its chemical residue, he said.
The impact of Cyclone Remal recently affected Manipur on a large scale, causing massive flooding in various areas of the state. Priyokumar said that ‘Tangkhul Avenue’ in Imphal East district was seriously affected due to the flood.
To prevent other post-flood diseases, including dengue, local volunteers used ‘Temephos’ chemicals massively in the area. Later, with the southwesterly monsoon rain, the same place was again flooded. The same chemical was used again as a preventive measure for post-flood diseases.
While ‘Temephos’ chemicals might have minimal residue, frequent and massive use of this chemical could affect the environment of the surroundings, Priyokumar said.
He said that in the entire northeastern region, the first dengue case was detected in Manipur’s border town Moreh in 2007. He said dengue cases are usually found in hot climates, and the increasing number of dengue cases shows that the virus is becoming more suitable in the present climate of Manipur.
The director of environment and climate change, Th Brajakumar, earlier said that climate change and rising temperatures in Manipur or any place is a natural phenomenon and will be hard to control.
Awareness programmes are organised on a large scale to prevent unplanned urbanization and deforestation which could accelerate the rate of climate change.
As an awareness message to the public, the department concerned uses different media platforms. Mass awareness includes preventing stagnant water in the surroundings, covering potable water in the house to prevent mosquito breeding, using insect repellent, wearing loose-fitting clothes, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and other measures.
The government, as part of initiatives to kill mosquito eggs in drains, has started using larva-eating fish in some drains instead of using chemicals.
Director of Health Services O Sanahanbi said that using chemicals or mosquito repellents affects a person’s health and indirectly affects the environment with chemical residue. No cure has been invented for dengue virus infection till date, she said.
Taking up ‘primordial prevention’ measures instead of using chemicals will be the most effective way to prevent the disease, Sanahanbi said. Primordial Prevention is a concept that precedes primary prevention and focuses on risk factor prevention.
She said that instead of using mosquito repellents, people should maintain a clean environment inside the house and surroundings. Most people, especially in urban areas, due to unplanned urbanization, are increasingly planting indoor plants.
However, they neglect to change the base plate of the vase, and some plants are even planted in water bottles or water vases as decorative items. Such stagnant clean water becomes a favorite breeding place for ‘Aedes Aegypti,’ which causes dengue infection, she added.
Instead of using chemicals and mosquito repellents, people should change the water at regular intervals. By practicing this, the environment could remain free from contamination, she added.
