National Dengue Day – 16 May

• National Dengue Day is organized every year on 16th May by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare across India.
• The main objective of organizing this day is to create awareness about dengue among the common people.

About dengue

• The main carrier of dengue virus is the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
• Dengue is spread by the bite of two mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
• Dengue is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by dengue virus (genus flavivirus), spread by several species of mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, primarily Aedes aegypti.
• This mosquito is also a carrier of Chikungunya, Yellow Fever and Zika Infection.
• Aedes albopictus is active along the eastern and western coastlines, north-eastern states and the lower Himalayas.
• Currently, Aedes aegypti is more prevalent in the southern peninsula, eastern seaboard, north-eastern states and the northern plains.
• Dengue thrives in urban poor areas, suburbs and rural areas but can also affect more affluent neighbors in tropical and subtropical countries.
• Dengue transmission is closely associated with three key factors – rainfall, humidity and temperature, which dictate the geographical areas in which dengue spreads and is transmitted.
• ​Dengue infection is diagnosed through a blood test and there is no specific medicine to treat this infection.
• To prevent this, every person should keep the area around him clean and should not allow water to accumulate anywhere. Coolers should be cleaned at least once a week. People have also been advised to use mosquito nets and mosquito repellents.

About National Vector-Borne Disease Control Program

• Beginning: 2003-04
• The National Vector-Borne Disease Control Program is a central nodal agency for the prevention and control of six vector-borne diseases in India including malaria, dengue, lymphatic filariasis, kala-azar, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya.
• It functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The main objective of this program is to control and eradicate vector borne diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, lymphatic filariasis, kala azar etc.

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