Dengue Cases Up With Monsoon; 175 Detected, Highest In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar:  With the onset of the monsoon, dengue has started spreading in Odisha. So far, 175 cases of dengue have been detected in the State. Khordha district and Bhubaneswar top the list. Bhubaneswar has reported the highest number of 93 cases of dengue.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s plan to procure adequate fogging machines to contain mosquito breeding and check vector-borne diseases is yet to bring in any results.

Public Health Director, Niranjan Mishra on Saturday informed that there is usually a spike in vector-borne diseases from the month of July. However, the state has increased the dengue tests. So far 10,781 tests have been conducted and the overall test positivity rate is low.

Dengue, a vector-borne disease is caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which breeds in clean water accumulated on hard surfaces. Mishra has requested the people to clear any puddle or accumulation of water from their surroundings, especially from places like water coolers and tyres.

As per the directions of the Union government, free testing facility of dengue is available at various government hospitals.

“A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been issued for all districts as a precautionary measure. Clear instructions have been issued to hospitals and medical colleges to keep beds, medicine and platelets stock ready for dealing with any situation,” Mishra added.