Mosquitoes increase by 8 times, spread of Filariasis feared

Staff Reporter :
Mosquitoes have increased eightfold in Dhaka city, says a recent survey.
The survey said that increasing number of Culex mosquitoes after the winter created fear of spreading Filariasis disease among the city dwellers.
Department of Zoology of the Jahangirnagar University conducted the study.
The survey report showed that about 150 mosquitoes used to biting one people in every hour in different areas in the capital city.
It suggested that the density of mosquitoes increased eight times in Dhaka city after the winter this year.
Conducting survey with the samples of water, larvae and adult mosquitoes, the report said that the density of the mosquitoes would be five times more in this March than the last year.
It showed that the survey found more than 50 larvae this year in those places where it was only 15 to 20 in the previous year.
Professor Dr. Kabirul Bashar, Zoology Department of Jahangirnagar University said as the temperature rises suddenly after the winter, the density of Culex mosquitoes have been increased.
He said that without pouring rain, the mosquitoes menace would not be reduced.
The members of the survey team said that the density of the surface water increased after winter as long time no rain fall occurs.
The stagnant water become more densely, this is used as the food of the Culex mosquitoes.
“So, without falling rain the culex mosquitoes would not be reduced,” they said.
They suggested spraying pesticides and to clean all stagnant waters across the city.
Though the study suggested that the increasing of Culex mosquitoes created  
fear of spreading Filariasis disease, the officials of the Directorate General of the Health Servies (DGHS) asked not be panicked.
“The Filariasis disease would not be infected in one or two bites of culex mosquitoes, it is needed 500 to one thousand bites. Besides, there is no history of Filariasis disease in the capital, so there is no fear,” Dr. MM Akhtaruzzaman, Assistant Director of Disease Control Department of DGHS said.