BENGALURU: The spread of dengue in the city (BBMP limits) has sharply spiralled upwards as the number of cases has crossed 3,000 as per official figures.What is more worrying is that officials admit that as not all cases come to light, the number might just be ‘the tip of the iceberg’. As per figures from BBMP’s Public Health Information and Epidemiological Cell, a total of 3,052 cases of dengue have been confirmed this year within BBMP limits.
There is also some discrepancy in the official figures, as the state’s health department puts the number of cases at 2,443. BBMP Chief Health Officer (CHO) Dr M N Lokesh said this was probably because the department was only considering the city’s core areas, comprising three zones instead of eight. In spite of such high numbers, there hasn’t been a single death by dengue, according to BBMP officials.
Dr K T Padmaja, deputy medical superintendent, ESIC, Rajajinagar, said that they have been seeing a spurt in cases. “It is higher compared to last year. On an average, it is 20-30 cases of flu every day. We are seeing cases across age groups,” she said.
Dr Padmaja said that dengue cases usually spurt between July and September every year. “This year, we are seeing more severe cases where the platelet counts are dropping very low,” she said.
The hospital is also seeing a large number of cases of ‘dengue like fever’ where a patient shows all symptoms of dengue, including drop in platelets, but tests negative in the antigen test.
Pramod V Sathya, a consultant physician at Vikram Hospital, said that the season peaks between June and July and as it progresses to winter, a lot of people develop immunity against the flu.
“It is caused by a type of mosquito that bites during the day. Hence, a majority of cases reported are from those who work outside during the day. Dengue constitutes 15 per cent of our cases admitted,” he added.