Advertisement

Updated October 26th, 2021 at 17:20 IST

Delhi: Hospitals witness surge in dengue cases, patients from Uttar Pradesh on the rise

Delhi hospitals have been witnessing a surge in dengue cases as the number of patients from the national capital and the nearby areas have increased.

Reported by: Aayush Anandan
Delhi
Image: PIXABAY | Image:self
Advertisement

Hospitals in Delhi have been witnessing a surge in dengue cases as the number of patients from the national capital and the nearby areas like Uttar Pradesh are continuously on the rise. Dr Pooja Khosla, Senior Consultant in Department of Medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said, "A lot of younger patients are coming with dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever and a lot of them are unaware of the fact that they have dengue before. Once their IGG levels are being checked it gets revealed." She further added, "We are also getting lots of cases from outside Delhi, especially Uttar Pradesh." According to the data released by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), at least 1,006 dengue cases have been reported along with 154 cases of malaria. There have been another 73 cases of chikungunya as well.

During these months, it is natural for the dengue cases to increase, as the trend of the current year suggests, said Dr Khosla. She further added, "Dengue is a seasonal disease and post-rain it gets a hike, drop-in cases start generally starts post-Diwali. What we are seeing is general dengue behaviour. Last time it was definitely less but this cycle is not unusual compared to the years when it was an epidemic. But we all have to be very careful." Earlier in September, Delhi reported its first death due to the vector-borne disease. Dengue virus (DENV) causes severe symptoms like fever and haemorrhagic sensations.

The four variants of dengue

DENV-2 is associated with more severe diseases and is considered its most dangerous strain. Dengue infections are caused by four main variants that are closely related named DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. These four variants of the viruses are called serotypes due to each virus having a different interaction with the antibodies in the human blood serum. The four DENV serotypes mean that it is possible to be infected four times. Dengue season begins post-monsoon and stays till the onset of winter. Meanwhile, researchers in Australia have identified a bacteria that can sterilise a disease-carrying mosquito and this method can be used to remove dengue, yellow fever and Zika carriers in the future.

With ANI inputs

Advertisement

Published October 26th, 2021 at 17:20 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo