Dengue peak season yet to come, says health officials

Prayagraj: A steep rise in dengue cases in the urban localities has set alarm bells ringing in the health corridors as over 32 dengue cases were recorded in just 20 days of this month. Health officials, however, cautioned that the peak of the dengue cases is yet to come.
Sangam City on Sunday reported two more dengue cases. Officials of the health department claimed that two persons, including a 59-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, tested positive for dengue on Sunday.Officials also claimed that out of the total 56 cases, 44 were reported in urban areas, while the remaining 12 were from rural areas of the trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna pockets of the district.
Although the caseload has already crossed the 55 mark so far, health officials claimed 76 percent of patients have already recovered. Figures of the health department claimed that more dengue patients were reported in urban pockets, including posh colonies, while trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna pockets recorded only 20 percent of cases.
District Malaria Officer (Prayagraj) AK Singh told TOI, "It's the beginning of dengue cases and the peak season of dengue is yet to come." He, however, said, "cases would be declining only after Diwali (November first week)."
Singh, meanwhile, said, "There is no need for panic as the majority of samples being collected for dengue tests were found to be cases of viral fever." Singh, however, said, "Residents must take preventive measures to check mosquito breeding spots in and around their locations, particularly houses."
Viral fever cases have similar symptoms of dengue and, as a result, the patients as well as attendants panic and demand platelets. Doctors, however, said all the blood banks were on a priority basis offering platelets to patients whose platelet count had declined below 20,000. Officials of the health department have taken up a mega awareness campaign to educate and make people aware to check the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
Moreover, teams of Domestic Breed Checkers (DBC), while carrying out door-to-door surveys in city areas, found breeding spots of dengue larvae at colonies like Ashok Nagar, Mundera, Transport Nagar, Teliyarganj, Naini, Phaphamau, and other old city areas. Besides, choked nullahs and poor upkeep have also led to a mosquito menace in the area too, especially in many residential colonies and housing societies. Moreover, dengue cases were also reported in trans-Yamuna and trans-Ganga pockets of the district.
DMO, meanwhile, said, "Earlier, there were hardly two or three cases of dengue reported in dehat areas, but the graph of dengue cases is now reported in rural pockets too." "We have to bear with the problem every monsoon. It worsens during the post-monsoon period as well," alleged residents of many colonies, adding that barring a few swanky colonies, there was complete disregard for garbage lifting and disposal in other areas. The residents in the congested localities are increasingly getting detected with dengue and viral fever.