Dengue outbreak in Uttar Pradesh: State sees rise in cases, focus on preventive efforts

In a recent update to the dengue fever outbreak in Uttar Pradesh, 97 cases of dengue have been reported in Prayagraj and 21 active cases in Ghaziabad. According to officials of Firozabad, the death count due to viral fever in the district has raised to 60. In 2016, Uttar Pradesh had reported 42 dengue deaths, its highest since 2015.

CMO (Chief Medical Officer) Nanak Saran told ANI, "97 cases of dengue have been reported in Prayagraj, out of which 9 patients are admitted to hospitals. No death has been reported due to dengue this year so far. The cases are likely to increase in the city. Our preventive efforts are focused there".

While Ghaziabad CMO Dr Bhavtosh Shankhdhar informed, "In Ghaziabad, there are 21 active cases of dengue, out of which one patient is admitted to the district hospital & the rest are in private hospitals. On average, 5 cases are detected daily. No patient is in serious condition". 

Briefing on the tests carried out in the hospitals, Dr Anil Nigam, CMS, Ursala Hospital in Kanpur, said, "OPD of Ursala Hospital is receiving 75-100 patients of fever daily. 2 patients had tested positive for dengue in the rapid test but the same was not confirmed in ELISA test. Effectively, there is no case of dengue in this hospital".

Dengue situation in Firozabad

Earlier, Dinesh Kumar Premi, the chief medical officer in Firozabad, had told Reuters that 58 people, many of them children, had died in his district alone, raising fears that Uttar Pradesh is in the mid of its worst dengue outbreak in years. 

Premi added, “We are taking preventive measures and 95 health camps across the district have been operating in order to contain the spread of this fever".

Firozabad is one of the most affected districts of Uttar Pradesh. For the past two months, nearly 578 cases of dengue have been reported in the district. Since the start of September, authorities of Firozabad have launched a campaign to destroy mosquito breeding grounds. They have formed teams to check households for waterlogging and fumigate areas at risk. They have further released thousands of Gambusia, or mosquitofish, into water bodies to eat the mosquito larvae.

(Image credit: TWITTER)