The teams from the National Malaria Research Institute (NMRI) and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) have found unprecedented density of infected Aedes aegypti and Albopictus mosquitoes in entire Chakeri stretch which is currently plagued with Zika virus infections.

The mosquito density could be as high as 1.06 per 10-man hours or the Aedes mosquito or its larvae could be in two-three houses of the total 100 houses, said health officials aware of the findings.

Additional director, health, Kanpur division, Dr GK Mishra said the Aedes mosquito had become dominant and its density in Chakeri was a source of worry particularly after the genome sequencing confirmed Zika virus RNA in one of mosquito samples sent to NMRI, Delhi. “It is acknowledgment that mosquitoes in Chakeri are carrying Zika virus,” said chief medical officer, Kanpur, Dr Nepal Singh.

During the monsoon, the health department study finds, the density has been 0.93 per 10-man hours. This means the said mosquitoes or their larvae were found in one or more than one- and-a-half houses.

Last year the density was 0.660 per 10-man hours or one in 200 houses had Aedes mosquitoes or their larvae, said the officials, adding that it showed the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes had substantially increased in one year.

Three years ago, this mosquito was responsible for the worst outbreak of dengue in Kanpur which had recorded around 900 dengue related deaths. The report of malaria control department, Kanpur, seen by HT, says two species of the infected mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Albopictus have the highest concentration in Kanpur.

The malaria-causing Anopheles mosquito has a density of 0.025 per 10-man hours or it has been found in one house of every 400 houses, says the report. While the Culex mosquito that leads to filaria has zero density in urban pockets but 0.012 per 10-man hours in rural Kanpur pockets such as Ghatampur and Sarsaul.

Following this finding, the NCDI team has preserved 150 more mosquitos and would collect 100 more in next two days. The mosquitos would be kept in cold and room temperature. CMO Dr Nepal Singh said a test would be conducted for a week to determine the reach of Zika and its effect in Kanpur.

After detection of first Zika virus case on October 23, Kanpur has so far reported 89 cases while neighbouring Kannauj district has reported one case, taking the tally total cases in Uttar Pradesh to 90.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that spreads through the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquito. According to the World Health Organisation, the Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, peaking during early morning and late afternoon or evening.