THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dengue fever continues to hold the state in its grip even as the Health Department is struggling to tackle the situation. Though various measures are being taken by Health officials to prevent the spread of the disease, figures reveal an increase of Dengue cases when compared to last year. Director of Health Services in Charge Dr S Jayashankar confirmed that there was a slight increase in Dengue cases in the state this month when compared to the same period last year.
According to official figures, 70 confirmed cases and 179 suspected cases of Dengue were reported on Tuesday. Three Dengue related deaths were reported in June. As per figures, 319 confirmed and 1,627 suspected cases of Dengue are reported till now this month. Officials point out that all figures show that there has been a steady increase in Dengue cases which may shoot in the three months when the state receives monsoon rains.
Pathanamthitta district with 19 confirmed cases tops the list of confirmed Dengue cases on Tuesday. This is followed by Ernakulam district where ten confirmed cases are reported. While Thiruvananthapuram reported seven confirmed and eight suspected cases, Kollam had three suspected cases. From Idukki, seven confirmed cases and 11 suspected Dengue cases are reported. While nine suspected cases are reported from Kottayam, one suspected case is reported from Alappuzha.Official data says that one confirmed and three suspected cases were reported from Thrissur, seven suspected cases from Palakkad, six confirmed and 34 suspected cases from Malappuram, seven confirmed and 39 suspected cases from Kozhikode, three suspected cases from Wayanad, four confirmed and 12 suspected from Kannur and nine confirmed and 49 suspected cases from Kasargod.
Though figures are increasing, the Health Department says that all measures are being taken in earnest for tackling the spread of the disease. Stating that eradicating mosquitoes is the only way to contain the spread of Dengue, Jayashankar called for an active participation of the public in source reduction activities in one’s own surroundings. The local self-governments have been asked to strengthen mosquito eradication measures and to have an effective garbage disposal system.
