BHUBANESWAR: The Smart City has recorded highest number of dengue cases in the State this year. Nearly 30 per cent of the State’s dengue positive cases has been recorded from the Capital. Sources said BDA Colony in Chandrasekharpur has emerged as epicenter of the dengue onslaught. The vector-borne disease has affected 392 persons, all-time high in Bhubaneswar.
While BDA Colony has recorded 254 cases and Nayapalli and IRC Village registered 92, seven persons diagnosed with dengue in industrial area Mancheswar as on Monday evening. Similarly, Niladri Vihar, Jaydev Vihar and Brit Colony have recorded six, four and three cases respectively. Sat ya Nagar, OSAP, VSS Nagar and Nageswar Tangi registered two cases each and Old Town, Xavier area, Acharya Vihar, Unit-III and Unit-VI reported one each.
The State has recorded 1,336 dengue positive cases which is four times of the number of cases detected last year. Three persons have died so far. In 2017, only 375 cases were detected along with two deaths during the period. Among the districts, Cuttack and Rayagada have occupied the second and third spots with 267 and 130 cases, respectively. Gajapati has registered 61 cases, followed by Puri 54, Jajpur 51, Jagatsinghpur 48, Kalahandi 47, Balasore 41 and Bhadrak 31.
While poor sanitation and lack of preventive measures by the civic officials have been attributed to the spurt in dengue cases in the city, health authorities said monsoon rains in short spans provided conducive atmosphere for the dengue causing mosquitoes to thrive. Director of Health Services Dr Braja Kishore Brahma said though the city’s dengue positive figure is an all time high, fortunately only one death has been reported so far.
“After the death in Chandrasekharpur area, the dengue cases spread in the locality despite all measures. Joint teams of health and civic administrations have been engaged to bring the situation under control,” he said. Health staff from Urban Health Mission, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme and local hospitals have been visiting door-to-door to make people aware about surrounding cleanliness and check health condition of family members of affected patients.
They alleged that the situation assumed alarming proportion due to lack of preparedness of the civic body. Had the cleanliness drives been conducted before the onset of monsoon, such an alarming situation could have been avoided, said an official and added that fogging and source reduction activities are on in a war footing in the worst-hit areas.
Worrying figures
254 cases recorded in BDA Colony
92 registered in Nayapalli and IRC Village
7 persons diagnosed with dengue in Mancheswar
375 cases detected in 2017