BHUBANESWAR: With the onset of monsoon, Odisha has reported a sudden spike in dengue cases over last few days. Of the confirmed 288 cases across various districts so far this season, around 80 cases have been detected in the last five days.
Health department sources said, barring six districts - Angul, Deogarh, Gajapati, Keonjhar, Nuapada and Subarnapur, fresh dengue cases have been detected from the rest 24 districts. Khurda topped the chart with highest 80 cases, followed by 25 cases from Sundargarh and 21 each from Cuttack and Rayagada.
The new cases recorded around 75 per cent rise as compared to the same period last year. Only 164 cases were detected from January to June in 2023. Incidentally, the spike in the dengue cases has been witnessed in the cities and urban localities like Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Cuttack and Rayagada where the outbreak had assumed alarming proportions last year. The state had recorded 12,845 cases in 2023, an all-time high.
The rise in dengue cases has been attributed to several factors, primarily the failure of civic administration to ensure proper cleanliness and mosquito control measures ahead of the monsoon rains. Despite warnings from health experts, the civic administrations’ failure to conduct thorough pre-monsoon cleanliness drives in different urban areas has allowed stagnant water to accumulate and become breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes. Public spaces including parks, streets and drainage systems were not adequately cleaned. Overgrown vegetation and clogged drains have exacerbated the problem, creating more opportunities for mosquito breeding.
Director (health services) Dr Bijay Mohapatra said the civic officials have been urged to take preventive measures urgently.