Spatial Clustering of Dengue Fever: A Baseline Study in the City of Kolkata

Dengue Fever, a major global Vector-Borne public health concern, is considered a major threat for mortality and morbidity of human-population. As no public-health vaccine is not still available, for prevention of the disease different Vector Control methods are still the prime means. The key to success lies on analysis of geo-climatic, socio-cultural, politico-legal and economic condition of the area, seasonal variation, as well as the spatial spread of the disease. Among different cities of India, Kolkata, an important Metropolis, has been subjected to this study, where the spatial spread of dengue has been found to have some important characteristics. The authors of the present work, who have been working on Vector Borne Diseases and have effectively forecasted models of Urban Malaria for Kolkata, have attempted a baseline study on Spatial Clustering of Dengue Fever in the same City, based on a large survey data, conducted by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. In this pursuit, Moran scatter-plot, Hot-Spot Map and Heat Map using LISA Tools were derived for consecutive two years, so that the possible spatial effects on Dengue incidences can be derived after Spatial Analytic techniques. Disease Control methods can only be derived following the detailed Statistical Analysis of the Spatial Clustering data.