Dengue infection tally climbs to 391
POSTED November 3, 2009 - 10:14 | POSTED BY Jyoti Pal
Last edited by Kangna Agarwal on November 3, 2009 - 11:00
"Since last evening, 25 people have tested positive for Dengue, and that takes the number of cases this season to 391," N.K. Yadav, chief medical officer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said, confirming the latest infections.
Better off than last year
Health officials claim that the intensity of the virus this year is much less in comparison to last year. Last year, a total of 1,070 cases of dengue had been reported till Nov 1.
“The numbers are rising. However, there is no need to panic since last year the numbers had been higher than this,' added Yadav.
Majority of the dengue cases occur during the month of October. Thereafter the number recedes and with the onset of the winter the virus vanishes.
This year the country witnessed less-than-normal rains during the monsoon, consequently, the proliferation of mosquitoes was much less and therefore the spread of the dengue has been less severe.
State of preparedness
As is the case with other viral diseases, there is no specific cure for dengue. Paracetamol helps to the extent of bringing down fever and joint pain only. In the ultimate analysis, prevention is the best cure.
Therefore, the health authorities are not leaving anything to chance. Door-to-door checkups are being conducted at various places and the MCD is also sterilizing the vulnerable areas in the capital to curtail mosquito breeding.
“We are well-prepared to handle dengue, and our domestic breeding checkers have been taking rounds of their respective areas since May,” Yadav said.
About Dengue
A mosquito-borne seasonal virus, dengue is caused by any of four closely related viruses (DENV 1-4). The virus is passed on to a human by the bite of female mosquito, genus Aedes.
This mosquito can be easily spotted because of its atypical white spotted body and legs.
The main symptoms of dengue are high fever, severe headache and relentless pain in the joints, muscles and bones. Patients of dengue also complain of rashes and mild bleeding from nose or gums.
A severe form of the infection, known as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), can be fatal if not detected.
