An awareness program on Environmental Factors governing the Vector Borne diseases

The National Filaria day was held at Urban Health Centre in Butta Rama Raju Colony, 6 km from Karimnagar on Mancherial Road, Andhra Pradesh. The Honorable District Collector, Sri. C. Parthasarathi, I.A.S. inaugurated the programme in the presence of the District Medical and Health Officer, Sri. Varahala Raju, the District Malaria Officer, Sri. M. Narayan Reddy and Dr. U.S.N. Murty, Deputy Director and Head, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad.

The District Collector stressed on the importance of taking the environmental meanagement in controlling the Filariasis. Later Dr. U.S.N. Murty, (Deputy Director IICT) explained that the environmental factors playing a big role in escalating the population of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes , which are the principal vectors for spread of this dreaded disease. He urged the inhabitants of the village to keep their surroundings clean and to ensure that there is no stagnation of water , so that the mosquitoes do not breed around their houses. He emphasized that reduction of breeding sources would give good results and prompted inhabitants to cover the outlets of manhole pipes with muslin cloths to arrest the escape of adult mosquitoes. Dr Murty highlighted the contents of ENVIS Center on Bioinformatics-Vector Control to the participants.

He stressed that if the man - vector contact is minimized by use of a mosquito net, the spread of the disease can be controlled effectively and everyone living in endemic areas should subject themselves to blood screening tests once in three months.