JAGATSINGHPUR: Incidence of dengue and malaria is on the rise in Jagatsinghpur district. This year, a whopping 653 villagers have been affected by dengue and most of the cases are being reported from Erasama block.
Two persons - Soumya Ranjan Nayak, aged 18, of Arakhia village and 60-year-old Shantilata Nayak of Kanagula village under Erasama police limits - have died due to dengue in the last few days. While Soumya died in September, Shantilata had succumbed in August. In fact, Shantilata was the first person to die of dengue this year.
Though health teams are conducting door-to-door visits and collecting blood samples of villagers, there have been no signs of the disease relenting. Dengue has been reported from Kanaguli, Kunjakothi and Nalapai panchayats of Erasama block. Apparently, Erasama BDO Kailash Behera is also undergoing treatment for dengue in a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.