BHUBANESWAR: Deadly dengue seems to have returned with a vengeance this year as the State has recorded more than thrice the number of positive cases of the last year.
While 220 people tested positive for dengue and no death was reported as on July 27 last year, three persons have already succumbed to the disease and 692 persons have been found positive this year. Deaths have been reported from Khurda, Puri and Keonjhar districts. The deceased are Pratima Das (48) of Chandrasekharpur, Prasanta Moharana (25) of Rupadeipur and Trailokya Barik (32) of Dimiria.
Even as people are scared of steady rise of dengue cases, health officials claimed that both Moharana and Barik had contracted infection while working at Chennai and Vijayanagaram respectively.Of 30 districts, the disease has spread to 23 districts with Khurda topping the list for having highest 292 positive cases, followed by Cuttack which has registered 108 cases till Friday. On an average, 30 cases are being reported everyday.
Though Keonjhar, which had recorded highest positive cases in 2016, has reported only nine cases, 59 persons have been detected with the diseases in Rayagada this time. Puri has registered 31 cases, followed by Jajpur 27, Nayagarh 22, Balasore 21 and Bhadrak 19.
The spurt in dengue cases in the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack has belied the claims of the civic administrations of maintaining cleanliness. Apart from the poor sanitation, prolonged monsoon and low-pressure rains have also added to the woes.
Although no specific reason has been cited for the spurt in positive cases in Bhubaneswar, officials suspect the fever may have spread from some affected migrants who are living in slums.
The Health Department has sent special teams of doctors to the affected areas to take stock of the situation and treat the patients. Director of Health Services Dr BK Bramha said people have been alerted how to prevent the disease as it has is no vaccine. Dengue and malaria sensitisation workshops are being conducted, he added.
Dengue has been a cause of concern for the last three years as the State had registered 11 deaths and 8,380 cases in 2016, six deaths and 4,158 cases in 2017 and two deaths and 2,450 cases in 2015.