Transovarial transmission lead to rise in dengue cases
The Statesman | 27 July 2025
Dengue cases have been on the rise in parts of East Burdwan over the past week, affecting both urban and rural areas—particularly in the Purbasthali-II block.
Health officials have identified transovarial transmission as a key factor contributing to the surge.
As of Saturday afternoon, district health authorities had recorded 116 cases, with 19 cases newly reported. The Burdwan South and North sub-divisions have reported 21 and 29 cases respectively, officials said. Senior health officials noted that the clustering trend mirrors that of June–July 2024.
Dr Sunetra Majumdar, deputy chief medical officer of East Burdwan, said: “In view of the current trend, we have intensified vector control activities across the district.”
A review meeting was held on Wednesday to assess the situation in Purbasthali and Burdwan town, with emphasis on the need for greater public awareness.
During the last monsoon, 556 dengue cases were reported in the district, of which 483 were from rural areas. The Purbasthali-I & II and Kalna-I blocks alone accounted for 299 cases. In response, the East Burdwan zilla parishad deployed 200 folk artists to raise awareness and combat the outbreak.
Biswanath Roy, zilla parishad karmadhyaksha for public health engineering, said: “We have intensified awareness efforts and are maintaining close supervision of vulnerable areas this year.”
Speaking on the role of transovarial transmission, Dr Majumdar explained: “The dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, continues to spread the virus even after the death of the mother mosquito, as the virus is passed on to her offspring. This results in newly-hatched mosquitoes already carrying the virus.”
Officials also warned that dengue larvae can remain dormant on the walls of dry containers for up to a year. A new advisory has been issued urging people to clean empty water buckets and containers thoroughly with soap to prevent breeding.
High-rise buildings in urban areas, railway stations, and inter-market zones have been brought under surveillance, which Dr Majumdar identified as “highly vulnerable locations.”