As Dengue Cases Cross One Lakh In India, Govt Sends Teams To States With Highest Caseload
Controlling the dengue outbreak across India is turning out the next big challenge for the country's healthcare system that has been stretched to its limits by the COVID-19 outbreak.
15 states are currently reporting a rise in dengue infections there and till October 31, a total of 1,16,991 cases have been recorded.
Out of the 15 states and UTs -- Haryana, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir account for around 86 per cent of all the infections.
Taking into account the worsening situation the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday rushed its teams to the states and UTs to support them in public health measures for control and management of the infection.
The teams are tasked to assist and support these states and union territories to mount an effective public health response. They have been asked to report on the status of vector control, availability of kits and medicines, early detection, availability and use of insecticides, status of anti-larval and anti-adult vector control measures, among others, a health ministry statement said.
This is in accordance with the directions issued by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during a review meeting on the dengue situation in Delhi on Monday, the statement said.
Mandaviya had directed the ministry to extend help to states and union territories that have a high incidence of dengue cases, the statement said.
The statement said that a significantly higher number of cases in some states have been reported in October as compared to the number of cases during the same period in the previous year.
In Delhi, 1,530 cases of dengue have been reported this year so far, of which nearly 1,200 were recorded in October alone, the highest count for the month in the last four years.
The national capital had registered a higher count of 2,022 dengue cases for October in 2017.
In the previous years, the total dengue cases reported were -- 4,431 in 2016; 4,726 in 2017; 2,798 in 2018; 2,036 in 2019 and 1,072 in 2020.
Dengue mosquito larvae breed in clear, standing water, while those of malaria thrive even in dirty water. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch till mid-December.
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