A Brief Scenario on the Emergence and Occurrence of Dengue Fever in the Slum Dwelling Areas of Kolkata, West Bengal

Dengue Fever is one of the most common mosquito-borne diseases caused by dengue virus. The disease is spread through the bite of the infected female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species of mosquito. These mosquitoes are usually found between 35N-35S latitude below 1, 000 meters altitude.18 states of India has been enlisted for endemic Dengue outbreak by the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP), West Bengal being the state severely affected by the disease every year. . In Kolkata, dengue was first documented in 1824. According to the NVBDCP, West Bengal has 3306 confirmed dengue cases in 2012, nearly 2000 cases from the Kolkata Metropolitan Corporation areas. In recent years the disease has affected the city dwellers during monsoon and post-monsoon season with the disease incidences reaching its peak during September and October due to the scarce urban amenities including unhygienic environments of living, open drains, water logging during monsoon season, seasonal rainfall and lack of proper sanitary conditions. In 2003-2004 and 2005 NVBDCP initiated an integrated programme with other health programmes under National Rural Health Mission to control the outbreak, spread and death incidences from the disease, free treatment and blood test health camps, awareness campaigns in slum households to educate people about the disease, create public hoardings and banners across the roads, cleanliness programmes in slum areas by draining out storm water and spraying pesticides to apprehend the outbreak and spread of the disease.