PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The Additional Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) of Dehradun and district surveillance officer Dr CS Rawat has urged the public to take precautions, especially during the monsoon season to prevent dengue. It is important to note that frequent rainfall has been observed in Dehradun recently. As a result, concerns have increased regarding a potential rise in dengue cases, particularly since this year, an early onset of dengue cases has been noted in April compared to the previous year.
Rawat said that comoared to the previous year, the district has seen an earlier spike in dengue cases this year. While a total of 35 to 37 cases were reported last year, there have already been 73 confirmed dengue cases so far till May 29. He said that last year’s higher temperatures suppressed dengue incidences. However, this year’s early monsoon showers have contributed to the increase in cases.
Earlier, the dengue virus strain observed was DENV 2, but so far this year, no tests for the strain have been conducted. It is anticipated that the dengue strain present now is DENV 3, which is not considered dangerous, as most individuals can recover within a week.
To combat dengue, regular fogging is being conducted, and an action plan has been implemented. ASHA workers and volunteers are actively conducting surveys, raising awareness and inspecting for mosquito larvae in their assigned wards. These volunteers are responsible for submitting their findings to the ASHA facilitator, who will then relay the information to the relevant health department. If larvae are detected in reports from volunteers or during inspections conducted by ASHAs, appropriate larvicidal treatment and fogging will be carried out in those areas.
Rawat emphasised that with the monsoon season underway, it is advisable for individuals to take necessary precautions to prevent dengue cases, including wearing full-sleeved clothes, avoiding stagnant water in their surroundings and others.
One more dengue case reported in Dehradun
DEHRADUN: One new case of dengue was reported in the Dehradun district on Thursday. The Dehradun Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma said that on Thursday one individual was hospitalised after testing positive for dengue and was admitted to Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital for treatment. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed dengue cases (ELISA-positive) to 73, which includes 42 cases in Dehradun and 31 cases from other districts or states.
Sharma further informed that there are currently seven patients hospitalised, with six admitted to Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital and one at Government Doon Medical College (GDMC). On Thursday alone, 121 dengue samples were collected, increasing the cumulative total to 5,262 samples collected so far.
Additionally, on Thursday, ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and health department volunteers conducted 16,780 house surveys to check for mosquito larvae. Among these, 72 houses tested positive for larvae. The health department has completed a total of 4,80,528 house surveys, with 1,419 of those showing positive results. Further, ASHA workers and volunteers inspected 1,02,920 containers, of which 84 were found to be positive for larvae. To date, they have surveyed 29,74,515 containers, resulting in 1,754 testing positive.
