Mosquitoes could sting Lusofonia Games in Goa

Mosquitoes could have a field day at the Lusofonia Games 2013 with the state health department claiming that the area near the Portuguese Commonwealth Games' inauguration ceremony venue was infested with malarial infections.

"About 70 per cent of the cases detected at UHC (urban health centre), Margao were from migrant construction workers especially at the Nehru Stadium and near ongoing works of Hospicio Hospital, Margao," a press statement issued by the state health department said.

The Nehru stadium located near Margao, in south Goa district is one of Goa's oldest stadiums and will host the inaugural ceremony as well as football games when the Lusofonia Games begin in January next year.

The Lusofonia Games are a Portuguese equivalent of the British Commonwealth Games and are scheduled to be held in Goa in November, if all the infrastructure which includes indoor stadiums, track and field facilities as well as other sports-related apparatus, is constructed and put in place in time.

Among the countries participating in the 2013 games in Goa are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe. Equatorial Guinea, India and Sri Lanka are associate members of the games.

The statement also reads that while the health department has succeeded in bringing down malaria and Japanese Encephalitis cases in the state, "Dengue cases in Goa has shown a rise in keeping with the trend all over India".

It also states that the administration has instructed all health units in South Goa (district) to take adequate measures for control of vector-borne diseases and has advised the public and roadside vendors to avoid insanitary conditions which are the source of these mosquitoes.