The extended monsoon season has resulted in a rise in cases of vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases in urban and rural areas. During the monsoon season in India, nearly every city and town grapples with a mosquito infestation.
Puddles in urban and rural areas serve as breeding grounds for various types of mosquitoes, leading to a significant rise in cases of Dengue and Chikungunya. Municipal bodies in major cities like Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kochi have issued warnings and notices to thousands of residents, urging them to eliminate stagnant water and open containers that contribute to mosquito breeding in their homes.
A survey by LocalCircles stated that 49% of households spend over Rs 2,400 per year on mosquito control and 37% spend up to Rs 2,400. About 7 in 10 households surveyed during the study showed the local municipality or panchayat had not done any fogging during the monsoon season.
During October 2023, data from LocalCircles revealed that 25% of households reported a family member falling ill from a mosquito-borne illness within the past 3 years. Additionally, findings showed that 70% of Indian households surveyed by LocalCircles indicated that their local municipal corporation or panchayat had not conducted fogging in their area during the monsoon season.
The survey was conducted to determine the peak mosquito season in different areas, how households are addressing the mosquito issue, and the average monthly cost incurred to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses.
Here are the top points:
1. High Spends
The survey showed that 37% stated that they spend “up to INR 200” monthly, 29% of respondents indicated that they spend Rs 200-500; 14% indicated that they spend that they spend Rs 500-1000” monthly, while 4% of respondents stated that they spend as high as Rs 2000-5000 monthly.
2. Means to prevent diseases
About 55% respondents said they use repellent liquids, sprays and creams to deal with the problem. Around 43% stated that they use repellent machines, 32% stated that they use rackets which pass current and kill the mosquitoes, 32% stated that they use “mosquito net”, while just 21% stated that they rely on “fogging services”.
Many respondents selected more than one category of products that they use. On an aggregate basis, anti-mosquito repellent sprays, machines, rackets, creams and mosquito nets are top items Indian households use to protect themselves from mosquitoes; Only 21% avail of any kind of fogging services. Fogging services are generally more expensive and undertaken by apartment societies, AOAs or RWAs. In rare cases, such services are purchased privately by homeowners. In some cities, municipalities also conduct fogging but the communications from them is so broken that residents hardly come to know about such drives and are largely left to fend for themselves when it comes to mosquito control.
Situation in India
In recent decades, there has been an increase in cases of vector-borne diseases such as Malaria, Dengue, and Chikungunya in various parts of the country. This trend is particularly noticeable during the peak of the summer monsoon, which occurs from June to September, as well as the winter monsoon beginning in October.
According to Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, there have been over 32,000 reported cases of Dengue in the country as of August 2 this year, compared to 18,391 cases during the same period in 2023. Jadhav stated in a written response that the government and relevant agencies are continuously assessing and monitoring the Dengue outbreak situation across the country.
Worldwide numbers
Dengue can be fatal during the monsoon season, providing optimal conditions for Aedes mosquitoes to transmit viruses. The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded staggering statistics on global dengue cases, with over 12 million reported cases and more than 8,000 dengue-related deaths spanning 86 countries as of the onset of 2024. Effective prevention and management of dengue rely heavily on controlling the mosquito vectors. While there is no specific treatment for dengue or severe cases, early detection and timely access to appropriate medical interventions significantly reduce the mortality rates associated with severe dengue infections.