Cool Ooty climate keeps off dengue mosquitoes

“Not a single death has been reported from The Nilgiris due to dengue so far. In fact the dengue causing Aedes aegypti mosquito does not thrive or breed in chill weather or in high altitudes,” said Dr Raghu Babu, Joint Director of Health Services, The Nilgiris. 

The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes require a temperature of more than 20 degree Celsius and a humidity level of more than 40 per cent to breed. 

However, The Nilgiris has low humidity and its temperature hovers around 10-15 degree Celsius. 

Also these mosquitoes, which transmit dengue virus, die in high altitudes. They normally breed at 1,500 to 3000 feet above sea level, but the hill town is located more than 6000 feet. 

Even if, the mosquitoes happen to be present in vehicles entering the hills from other places, they cannot survive in cold weather. 

The onset of chill weather is likely to further reduce the impact of the vector-borne disease. “Absence of dengue breeding mosquitoes and its larvae in The Nilgiris have been confirmed by tests conducted by zonal entomologists in June and July at Kothagiri and Thengumarada areas,” said S Porkodi, Deputy Director of Public Health Services. 

Tests done on 22 water samples lifted from storage containers, unused tanks, houses, private and government buildings have proved the absence of both Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and their larvae. A similar test done last year also proved the absence of dengue causing mosquitoes in the hills. Still, a total of 193 persons have undergone treatment for dengue at the Government Hospital in The Nilgiris over the last four months. 

“Almost all of them have a travel history to plains, where they were affected by dengue, but preferred to come back here for treatment. Most of them were college students, IT employees and textile firm labourers. They all were in the age group of 20 - 40 and have migrated to other places to work and study. Fortunately there are hardly any children unlike in other districts. Currently six persons, all adults, are undergoing treatment for dengue in GH,” said Dr Raghu Babu. 

Despite no reported dengue deaths, The Nilgiri administration has been leaving no stone unturned in creating awareness drives and in maintaining the hills clean.