KARACHI, Oct 2: Fumigation team sprayed the areas of Landhi Town on Monday under the city government’s campaign initiated to check rapid growth of mosquitoes, houseflies and other insects that cause viral fever and various diseases.

An official of the health department said that the aerial spray would not merely reduce the increasing number of mosquitoes in the city but would also help control the viral haemorrhagic fever, particularly dengue virus.

He said that the vector control wing had carried out the same drive about a month ago, however, it could not reduce the number of mosquitoes and flies in several parts of the city.

According to the schedule announced by the city government on Monday, fumigation would be carried out in Liaquatabad on Oct 3, Orangi on Oct 4, Lyari on Oct 5, Shah Faisal on Oct 6, Gulshan Town on Oct 7, Gulberg on Oct 8, Malir on Oct 9, SITE on Oct 10, Keamari on Oct 11, Saddar on Oct 12, New Karachi on Oct 13, Bin Qasim Town on Oct 14, Baldia on Oct 15, Jamshed Town on Oct 16, Gadap on Oct 17, and North Nazimabad on Oct 18.

It may recalled that the rainwater of the two major cloudbursts remained accumulated in several localities of the metropolis for many days, which consequently proved breeding place for mosquitoes and flies causing viral diseases, particular VHF among citizens.

According to medical experts, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever is a group of illnesses that are caused by several distinct families of virus. Some of them cause mild illness while others can cause severe, life threatening disease, which includes Crimean-Congo, Dengue and Hemorrhagic fever.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection, which in the recent years has become a major international public health concern, while Congo fever is caused owing to bite of tick found on cattle.

Dengue as well as Congo is found in the tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world e.g. in Pakistan, predominantly in the urban and sub-urban areas.

In Karachi, a considerable number of citizens have been infected by dengue virus during the last one year due to the growing number of mosquitoes and ineffective spray campaigns.

The figures collected from four major public and private hospitals during the current year show that seven people have so far died of VHF, four fell prey to Dengue, one to Congo, while two deaths could not be diagnosed.

There have been 219 confirmed dengue and seven Congo cases reported from June 2005 to Aug 2006 and there were 14 deaths due to the VHF last year.

Two patients of dengue virus died a few days ago while many patients admitted in different hospitals are suspiciously infected with the said disease.

So far, the city government has carried out fumigation drives in every town thrice this year, however, no considerable results were yielded, an official of the health department said.

He said that as the city needed an aerial anti-insecticide spray to wipe out the growing mosquitoes and flies, which were the main cause of spreading diseases. —Online