BHUBANESWAR : With one death and over 400 cases, dengue outbreak in the State Capital is worsening with each passing day. Although sources claimed that a 15-year-old girl succumbed to the vector-borne disease on Monday, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), is yet to confirm it.
Suffering from high fever, she was under treatment at a private hospital. A health team lead by additional district urban public health officer (ADUPHO) Antaryami Mishra visited the house of the victim on Tuesday to find out the details. Mishra said that more information has been sought from the hospital as the victim had undergone a rapid diagnostic test, which is not considered to be authentic. Besides, the girl was suffering from fits.
Mishra said a team of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) from Khurda will also reach the city on Wednesday to inquire about the death and take stock of the situation. Thirty more dengue cases were reported in the city in the last 24 hours pushing the infection tally beyond 400 mark. As per BMC statistics, the city so far recorded 421 dengue cases from different localities.
The disease which was initially reported from Niladri Vihar, Sailashree Vihar and Kalpana square, has now taken 50 more areas under its grip. Director of Public Health Dr Niranjan Mishra, however, said the situation is under control. He said once there is an outbreak of the disease, it will remain till its life cycle is complete even after taking all preventive measures. He also urged people to remove stagnated water in the periphery of their houses at regular intervals.
Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh said door-to-door surveillance has been intensified, while anti-larval measures and source reduction activities expedited across the city to deal with the menace.
BMC officials said that a total 1,134 breeding spots, including 469 spots having larvae have been destroyed so far this month. They said that over 20,350 people have also been covered in the awareness drive in areas including vulnerable places where outbreak of the disease has been reported.
CAUSE OF CONCERN
Total number of dengue cases has crossed 400-mark
City so far recorded 421 dengue cases from different localities
Apart from Niladri Vihar, Sailashree Vihar and Kalpana square, dengue reported from 50 new areas