BENGALURU: With Bengaluru witnessing early showers, there are reports of sporadic dengue cases, and the Karnataka health department has asked citizens to take precautionary measures to keep the disease at bay. The department encouraged people to ‘Harness Partnership to defeat Dengue’, which is also the theme for the year 2023, on the occasion of National Dengue Day observed on May 16.
Dr SR Lakshmipathy, senior specialist paediatrician at KC General Hospital, said, “The cases seen at hospital are very irregular, three or four cases a week. Early showers in the state, coupled with unkept spaces, have provided favourable breeding conditions for the dengue virus, due to which a few cases are being reported.”
Another doctor from Victoria Hospital said the situation was similar, with three or four cases coming in every week. Health and Family Welfare department Commissioner D Randeep said, “The health department is implementing control measures with a special focus on remote and inaccessible areas, hilly regions and tribal areas. Along with control measures, we are creating wide awareness among the public on dengue and how the disease spreads.”
He added that health personnel and ASHA workers are making door-to-door visits to reduce breeding grounds of the Aedes mosquito. From January to May 2023, 1,716 dengue cases were reported in the state, with no deaths so far. While the state recorded over 17,000 cases in 2017, and over 18,000 cases in 2019, the number almost halved with over 7,000 cases in 2021 and 9,000 cases in 2022.
Though dengue cases are under control, the number of deaths is around 10 every year. The health department has advised citizens to prevent accumulation of water, dispose of solid waste around the house periodically, and use mosquito nets, especially for children, pregnant women and the elderly, to avoid getting infected by the virus.