Infection Risk in Increasing Public Transportation Use

Regarding the increasing use of public transportation with the opening of schools in İstanbul, Microbiologist Dr. İpek Ada Alver from Altınbaş University stated that humid and dark subway environments create a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Alver warned that dangerous infections such as West Nile Virus can spread in this way and emphasized that subways should be regularly disinfected and sprayed to combat mosquitoes.

With the opening of schools in İstanbul, traffic density and demand for public transportation have increased significantly. Especially in metropolitan cities, crowded and stuffy environments in public transportation vehicles such as subways and buses can pave the way for the spread of infectious diseases. Hygiene and personal protection measures are even more important for students, employees and those who use public transportation intensively. Subways and similar airless, humid environments have become remarkable not only for man-made infections, but also for environmental threats.

Microbiologist Dr. Lecturer İpek Ada Alver from Altınbaş University also made important warnings against infectious diseases that mosquitoes can carry, especially during this period. İpek Ada Alver said, “Especially in metropolitan cities, subways, which usually provide transfer to airports, stations and sea transportation and are used by thousands of people a day, including from different countries, are dark, humid and damp environments as they provide underground transportation. Since mosquitoes multiply faster in these habitats, they are effective in transmitting malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, filariasis, tularemia, Zika fever and many types of encephalitis, especially West Nile Virus infection.”

“Infection can easily spread between cities or countries”

Stating that mosquitoes play a major role in blood-borne infections, Ada Alver said, “Mosquitoes, which we call vectors, are of great importance in the transportation of the infectious microorganism. With such means of transportation, the infection can easily spread even between cities or countries.” He stated that mosquitoes usually proliferate in wet and humid areas, lakes, seas, swamps and forests, but humid and airless environments in metropolitan cities are equally dangerous.

“Taking them under control is vital in breaking the chain of infection”

Ada Alver also pointed out that mosquitoes protect microorganisms from the external environment and transmit them directly into the bloodstream, “Mosquitoes contribute to the mutation of the infection and the development of resistance to treatment. Therefore, controlling the mosquito population is vital in breaking the chain of infection. Necessary measures should be taken to control the mosquito population in subways, especially for diseases such as West Nile Virus, for which there is no treatment and vaccine.”

Microbiologist Dr. Lecturer İpek Ada Alver from Altınbaş University emphasized that the subways should be regularly disinfected, sprayed to reduce the mosquito population and humidity and humidity should be kept under control and concluded by saying, “In addition to regular cleaning of public transportation vehicles, necessary spraying and hygiene studies should be carried out against areas where mosquitoes can nest.”