As many as eight districts in the state have recorded dengue cases in triple digits.
The number of cases touched 1,372 in Bangalore, Mysore, Haveri, Mandya, Udupi, Bellary, Shimoga and Ramanagaram. With 302 cases being reported in Bangalore city alone, the Health Department has asked the Task Force to meet regularly and increase monitoring activities till August.
Despite efforts by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, and Ayush Services to contain the spread of dengue, the number of people affected seems to increase by the day. As per official records, a total of 2,234 dengue cases and eight deaths have been reported since January this year.
An official in the Health and Family Welfare Department claimed that it registered 9,972 suspected cases and collected 6,644 blood samples out of which 1,998 were referred for the Mac Elisa test and 236 for the NS1 Antigen standard test.
Madan Gopal, Principal Secretary to the Department of Health and Family Welfare and Ayush Services, told Express that there is an increase in dengue, but it is not on an alarming scale.
He also said that a meeting with the Task Force was held recently to discuss ways to increase awareness. The Force, which involves various stakeholders, was constituted in October last year and will meet regularly to monitor vector-borne diseases in the state, he said.
Awareness
Earlier, the BBMP, M S Ramaiah Medical College Hospital and Sumangali Sevashrama conducted an awareness programme on dengue for anganwadi workers and pourakarmikas.
BBMP Chief Health Officer B Nagaraj lauded the efforts of medical students, anganwadi and civic workers for playing an important role in spreading awareness on the disease and its control.