Thursday, 13 July 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The cases of vector borne diseases dengue are continuing to mount in the provisional State capital Dehradun. The district health department reported eight new cases of the disease from different parts of the city on Wednesday. The district now has 46 patients of the vector borne disease that have been reported in this season. The health department collected 207 samples of the patients for the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test on Wednesday.
A total of 16 patients of the disease are undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the district. The department has declared an alert for the residents of Ajabpur Kalan, Dharampur, Kargi, Racecourse, Singal Mandi and GMS road.
The district vector borne diseases officer, Subhash Joshi said the department is actively engaged in the source reduction activity and awareness campaign against the disease. Dengue is a viral infection spread by the mosquito Aedes Aezypti popularly known as Tiger Mosquito.
He said that the breeding places of mosquitoes inside the homes and vicinity should be destroyed. Joshi said that Aedes mosquitoes – the vector of dengue- are capable of laying their eggs in one spoonful of water so the pots, vases, water bottles and coolers should be decanted. The officer added that the Aedes mosquito bites during day time so it is advisable that everyone should wear full sleeve clothes to reduce exposure of their body for the mosquito to bite. The symptoms of the disease are persistent high fever, rashes, headache and pain in the joints. In the acute cases the platelets number decreases drastically which may prove fatal for the patient.
Ways to prevent Dengue
1. Don’t allow water to collect in and near houses.
2. Regularly decant fridges, coolers, pots or cans.
3. Spread kerosene or other oils on small water bodies which are effective to destroy the larvae of Aedes mosquito.
4. Inform district health authorities for fogging to kill mosquitoes.
5. Aedes strikes during day time and flies near ground level so wear full sleeved clothes at work places.
6. Immediately seek medical advice when someone develops fever.
