HYDERABAD: A retrospective study on Dengue serotypes conducted by National Institute of Virology, Pune, which was recently published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, has thrown light on Telangana’s prevailing dengue strains.
The State is affected predominantly by the DENV-2 strain which is known to cause severe conditions like Thrombocytopenia, low platelet count or bleeding into the skin more often than from other strains.
According to the study, roughly 34 per cent of the samples collected in 2018 from Telangana were affected with DENV-2 and another 10 per cent with multiple serotypes.
Nationwide, nearly 4,963 samples were studied. The study found that the DENV-2 strain is predominant not only in Telangana but all of India and of the four strains, is most likely to reduce the platelet count, and cause abdominal pains.
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However there is no need to panic, add public health experts, as the modus operandi to deal with this form of strain was similar to others.
“From what we know, DENV-2 does not significantly change the transmission rate, morbidity or change the clinical management as done in treating other strains,” said Dr Rangareddy Burri, president, Infection Control Academy and Honorary Professor, UoH.The Centre has stated the strain as one of the likely causes for the current outbreak in UP.