Himachal Pradesh on High Alert After 60 Dengue Patients Test Positive in Solan

Health authorities in the district of Solan in Himachal Pradesh are on high alert. This comes after 60 cases of dengue have been registered from the hilly region.

Health Department Officer, Dr NK Gupta, said 60 cases of dengue had been recorded since the beginning of the year with the maximum of 27 cases coming to the fore in the Regional Hospital, Solan. Interestingly, a majority of the cases pertain to the people who reside in other places but are permanent residents of Solan.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne tropical disease whose symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. This may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and characteristic skin rash. Recovery generally takes around two to seven days. However, if the disease is not diagnosed and treated on time, it may turn out to be fatal in nature.

Dr Gupta further asserted that in the Baddi industrial area, where 21 cases have come to the fore, the requisite measures like fogging and other steps had failed to be undertaken effectively. In the Nalagarh industrial area too, things were equally pitiable where 12 cases of dengue have been detected.

Where Solan and Baddi authorities have failed to control the mosquito-borne disease, officials of MC area of Parwanoo, which also falls in the Solan district, have done a commendable job this year to contain the disease. Not a single case has been reported from this area which saw a whopping 1000 cases registered last year.

To control the spread of this disease better, three coordination committee meetings have been presided over by the deputy commissioner and this has reportedly helped in speeding up the process of generating awareness in all blocks of the district.

In fact, the capital city New Delhi, which is often in news for dengue menace, has also performed better this year in controlling the disease. As per the municipal data, by August 24, 2019, Delhi recorded 75 cases of dengue. This figure was 78 cases in 2018, 435 in 2017, 311 in 2016 and 530 cases were registered in 2015. The Aam Aadmi Party-led government has effectively reduced the danger of the disease in the city.