ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dengue is a vector-borne disease that is spread by its agent called Aedes Aegypti. It is one of the most widespread and contagious diseases affecting almost 1 billion people over the world and resulting in more than 400,000 deaths annually. In India, morbidity and mortality due to dengue have been in high numbers. The state of West Bengal has consistently reported a high number of cases over the last decade. This has led to serious threats to public health safety in the state.
GIS has been used in this study to understand the ecological and spatial complexities of mosquito epidemiology. The site suitability modeler has been used to identify dengue-prone zones by integrating the various physical and environmental factors which contribute to the spread of dengue. A risk map for 2019 was prepared to understand the temporal and spatial characteristics of the vector, and host, and how they interact. The results suggested that population density, land surface temperature, and presence of water bodies were the greatest contributors to the spread of dengue. The Dengue risk map was further compared to the dengue cases reported in 2019.
An integrated spatial decision support system that includes a dashboard and web app has been created in this study. This can help in focused decision-making to eliminate the vector from a grassroots level. The web app and dashboard built in this study aid in performing analysis on real-time data. It also helps in containing the spread of the vector by identifying and eliminating the dengue breeding zones. This study can be pitched as a solution to the health department of West Bengal to identify, control, monitor, and eliminate the spread of the vector.
Keywords: Dengue, Dengue Risk Map, Site Suitability, Cluster Analysis, Decision Support System.
