Australia readies dengue repellent for its CWG athletes

Fearing of a dengue outbreak in New Delhi during Commonwealth Games, Australian Commonwealth Games Association has already kept a container-load of mosquito repellent ready in India to be used by its athletes if required.

Fearing of a dengue outbreak in New Delhi during Commonwealth Games, Australian Commonwealth Games Association has already kept a container-load of mosquito repellent ready in India to be used by its athletes if required.

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"Australian Commonwealth Games Association has sent a container-load of insect repellent to Delhi for use of the Australian team to prepare for a possible dengue fever outbreak in the Indian capital," said a report in 'The Australian'.

"The Australian team was caught unaware at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur, where three members of the team's advance party contracted the life-threatening disease, forcing the ACGA to make an emergency call for insect repellent to protect the athletes.

"There were reports yesterday of the biggest dengue outbreak in Delhi in four years," the report said.

The report quoted Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials as saying that they do not have any information about the ACGA move and assured of all steps to curb dengue during the Games.

"We are taking all steps to check the outbreak of dengue. People should ensure their households are kept clean at all times and special attention should be paid to personal hygiene," said N K Yadav, MCD's chief medical officer.