As winters approach, dengue has continued to become a menace across states. In Kolkata, even after a slight decrease in the mosquito-borne disease, another fatality was reported due to the illness.
Sukanya Majumdar, a 26-year-old Dhakuria resident, died of the disease in the early hours of Thursday at Apollo Multipsecialty Hospital. Majumdar had been suffering from a fever since October 15 and tested positive the following day. Her family sought medical attention right away, knowing that this was the third dengue infection in the previous five years, a report by the Times of India said.
She was admitted to the general ward, but soon developed convulsion and was shifted to the critical care unit. She could not survive even after being put on ventilation. Majumdar had complained of abdomen and chest pain along with blood in the stool. Her family said shifting her to the intensive care unit before the convulsion could have made the difference.
Salman Khan Tests Positive
In other news, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has also tested positive for the disease and is on the road to recovery. He will resume his work soon, said reports.
States Up Response
Meanwhile, various states have upped their healthcare response to the illness after continued outbreak. The Director General (DG) of the medical health office in Uttar Pradesh issued a directive stating that leaves for doctors and paramedical staff associated with government hospitals in the state should not be approved. This was done in view of the dengue outbreak and the upcoming festival season.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, had asked health officials to set up dedicated desks to handle patients complaining of fever. “Cases of fever should be attended to separately. Such patients should not be made to wait in long queues,” he said.
The Minister asked officials to facilitate easy registration and check-up for fever cases and provide such patients with seven to 15 days of medicines as per the need. He also pointed out that the state is reporting lesser number of dengue cases this year as compared to the last year. “Hospitals have reserved beds for dengue cases. All measures should be taken to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease,” he directed.
Earlier, a high-level team from the Union Health Ministry was sent to Uttar Pradesh for instituting measures with regards to dengue management in Firozabad, Agra, and Etawah districts. The Centre’s team is collaborating with the state health authorities in instituting public health measures to check dengue cases.
And in Patna in Bihar, many city schools have asked parents to be cautious and send their children in full-sleeved shirts, kurtas, and full-length trousers or socks, said a report by the Times of India. They have also reduced the number of assemblies and begun fumigating and spraying anti-mosquito chemicals on campus every alternate day, in addition to pouring kerosene into water-filled puddles, coolers, tanks, and pots.
Bhopal Authorities are on alert too. Bhopal District Hospital Superintendent R Srivastava announced on October 20 that the health department is on high alert. The hospital superintendent also shared some prevention tips and recommendations for the viral disease. “Dengue cases are on the rise. In October, 85 cases have been reported. There have been no fatalities so far. The health department has been notified and is treating the patients. “People should not be concerned; simply follow the precautions,” he said.
Chandigarh also has seen its second highest dengue tally since 2018 at 506, with the city seeing 10 to 15 dengue cases per day. The increase in dengue cases coincides with the city’s recent heavy rains. So far, no deaths have been reported as a result of the disease, a report by the Tribune said.
51 Dead in Nepal
Away from India, Nepal is also suffering because of the disease, which has claimed over 50 lives till now. More than 42,500 tested positive for the dengue virus in Nepal which has been experiencing a surge in cases since July when the first infections were reported. According to the data released by the Ministry of Health and Population, a total of 42,504 people have caught the disease as of Thursday. The mosquito-borne viral disease infected an additional 761 people in the past 24 hours.
With the death of two more people in the past 24 hours, the dengue death toll across Nepal has reached 51, the ministry said.
The disease, which started in mid-July has now spread to all 77 districts across Nepal. Dengue cases have increased since July coinciding with the rainy season with the majority of the cases reported during September (83.6 percent).
According to the World Health Organisation, Nepal reported its first dengue case in a traveler returning from India in 2004. Since then, dengue has been endemic in Nepal.
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