With two deaths and 128 cases of Zika, Madhya Pradesh forcibly opening locked houses to check mosquito breeding

Madhya Pradesh is using Public Health Act to force open locked houses to check for mosquito breeding in areas where people are refusing access.

With Madhya Pradesh reporting two deaths from Zika virus and 128 confirmed cases, the state government is using the Public Health Act to force open locked houses to check for mosquito breeding in areas where people are refusing access.

The district collectors of MP have been given the authority to break open the lock and enter the hostile premises after preparing a panchnama to check mosquito breeding of Zika (File Photo)

“Going by the suggestion of the Centre’s technical team that visited some affected districts, the state health department has taken the decision to forcibly enter properties that are locked or where owners are not letting inspection teams enter. It is a public health concern, and we have the laws we can use in the interest of public at large,” said Dr BN Chouhan, director, Madhya Pradesh health services.

“The district collectors have been given the authority to break open the lock and enter the hostile premises after preparing a panchnama. Enough warnings, however, are given before the teams take the extreme step,” he added.

There are six affected districts in the state: Sehore, Bhopal, Vidisha, Hoshangabad, Sagar and Raisen. Zika is transmitted by Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes that are active during the day and also carry the dengue and chikungunya viruses. Its symptoms include fever, rashes, joint pain, headache and bodyache and conjunctivitis. There are no vaccines or cure for Zika.

A team headed by National Health Mission (NHM) director Manoj Jhalani visited the affected areas earlier this week. “As locked houses were proving to be a major impediment in vector control, among the suggestions we made was making use of public health laws. We also advised them to make use of school students not just for creating awareness but also for checking mosquito breeding around them as a school project,” said Jhalani.

The state education department has written to all schools asking them to engage students in the initiative. “The health department will train school students to identify the larvae so that children can spot them in their homes, neighbourhoods or schools,” said Dr Ajay Baroniya, joint director, health department.