CHENNAI: Two women died of dengue in Puducherry in the last two days due to late detection of infection. While 28-year-old Meenaroshini of Dharmapuri died in JIPMER on Tuesday, Gayathri (19) of Kurumbapet died at a private hospital in the Union Territory on Wednesday.
Director of Health and Family Welfare Services Dr. G Sriramulu said Meenaroshini was admitted to a private hospital on September 4 and was referred to JIPMER on September 8 for further treatment, but she succumbed four days later. Gayathri was being treated for fever by a private doctor and was referred to a private hospital on September 10 where she passed away three days later. Both patients had died due to late detection of dengue, the director said.
A high-level committee has been formed after the directorate received information about Meenaroshini’s death. Dharmapuri and Kurumbapet areas, located within Puducherry city, are close to each other. Fever surveillance and identifying potential sources in and around the areas where the victims lived, up to 400 metres, will be taken up by the health department, Dr Sriramulu said.
Last year, three people had died of dengue in the UT. In 2023, so far (till Monday), 1,175 dengue cases have been reported in Puducherry. Puducherry health department had issued an alert on August 30 in response to a significant surge in cases this year. About 1,094 cases had been reported till August this year, compared to 722 cases last year.
Unlike last year when cases spiked primarily during northeast monsoon, dengue cases have been reported all through the year in 2023, the report said. The situation has also raised concerns of an anticipated spike in cases of other diseases such as malaria, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis and elephantiasis, due to the ongoing southwest monsoon.
With monsoon to soon follow, the health department, in collaboration with public works, municipality, and education department, is working to implement preventative measures and curb the spread of dengue.
Health department to stay vigilant
Fever surveillance and identifying potential sources in and around the areas where the victims lived, up to 400 metres, will be taken up by the health department, Dr Sriramulu said.