On world malaria day, IMA’s 2.5 lakh doctors would sensitize people

Even Coca Cola & Pepsi Bottle Caps can cause Dengue

New Delhi, April 23: Not only liquid content of coke bottles are dangerous for health, their caps can ‘kill’ too.

Make no mistakes. This is not to say caps bite like mosquitoes and cause dengue. Only that Coke bottles’ caps can become breeding grounds for killer dengue causing mosquito Aedis Egypti as coolers do. Even if some drops of sugary liquid remain in the caps, it is enough to breed mosquitoes causing Dengue and malaria.

The coke bottles caps make valuable example because we as people are becoming addicted to coke. So watching out their caps with the sugary content would make good sense too.

Even if we keep hawk’s eye on our cooler and ignore minutest details of mosquitoes breeding grounds, all our efforts to prevent vector born diseases will come to naught.

This was pointed out by Dr. K.K. Aggarwal, General Secretary, Indian Medical Association, in a press conference regarding World Malaria Day ( April 25). He referred to coke caps just to exemplify how even a water reservoir as small as coke’s cap could turn out the cause vector borne diseases.

According to him, we should not only be wary about big reservoirs of water like cooler, to prevent mosquito breeding, we should also take into account minute things like bottle caps, paper cups, paper plates, chai ka kullhar. Mosquitoes only require a micro environment to grow.

Dr. Aggarwal addressed press conference with Dr .Ashok Adhao, past National President, IMA. They said in a joint statement said that IMA will be sensitizing 2.5 lacs on 10 Points which every doctor must know regarding Vector Borne Diseases. These points turn out interesting facts regarding mosquitoes and their capacity to inflict human beings.

In the summers, if the water coolers are not rub dried on a weekly basis, they can become a source for Vector breeding, leading to diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunia.

1. While dengue mosquito is a day biter, the malaria mosquito is a night biter.  Therefore mosquito precautions should be taken 24 x 7.
2. Even a small reservoir of water like a bottle cap, paper cups, paper plates, Chai Ka Kullarh etc. can be a breeding place for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes only require a micro environment to grow.
3. Breeding of mosquito in medical establishments is a medical negligence. It can spread Vector Borne Diseases to patients with low immunity leading to high mortality.
4. Treating Falciparum malaria with a single drug is a medical negligence.  Such patients should be treated with Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT).
5. While malaria mosquito bites one person in 3 days, dengue mosquito bites 3 persons in a day.
6. Malaria can be diagnosed by using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and the test can remain positive upto 3 weeks, after treatment is completed and after the blood has become negative for malaria parasite.
7. The mosquito which creates noise in the night is culex (Filaria mosquito) and not malaria and dengue mosquitoes.
8. In Malaria, if fever persists after 72 hours, one should suspect drug resistance.
9. In dengue unless there is bleeding, platelets transfusion is not required.
10. In dengue, if we keep difference between upper and lower blood pressure more than 40 most deaths can be saved.