With two people dying of dengue fever in the last couple of days, the scare of the deadly virus seems to have have gripped the city once again.
While there have not been as many cases reported as compared to 2012, doctors in the city said that the virus continues to be a major threat as there is no vaccination against it yet.
Statistics from Fever Hospital in the city show that last year 145 cases of dengue fever were registered, while this year seven have been reported till August. “Till date there is no known vaccination for the dengue virus, even though there is one for swine flu virus. The only thing that can be done is to provide supportive care for the patients,” said Dr K Shankar, superintendent, Fever Hospital.
Dr Mohd Masood Hussain, director, Ronald Ross Institute of Parasitology, said developing a vaccine for any virus takes a lot of time. “The antigens of the virus have to be countered with antibodies. However, in the case of the dengue virus, the antigens mutates due to environmental changes,” he explained, and added that with the change in the structure of the virus, it is difficult to formulate a vaccination.
Dr Hussain also stated that in the case of dengue fever, the virus has a circle and is self-regulatory. “It will recede in time. However if complications develop then there will be a threat to the patient,” he said.