The disease is fast emerging as a major threat this season with Delhi witnessing a surge in the number of cases over the last fortnight. Nearly 20 to 23 cases on an average per day have surfaced.
Until now, the disease has claimed two lives, that of a 15-year-old and a nine-year-old boy.
Expressing concern over the dismal situation, the Union Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi stated, “The (dengue) problem is massive and I think the Delhi government is making all efforts to stop the spread of the vector-borne disease.”
Plan of action laid out
The media reports allege that the civic body officials are hiding the actual figures and not taking adequate measures to prevent dengue. In order to get an accurate assessment of the number of cases, the Delhi Government appointed a state nodal officer to do the needful.
Disturbed by the sharp rise in the infections, the Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia criticized the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for failing to curb the dengue menace.
She convened a high level meeting with public and private hospitals, along with health officials Monday, to formulate a strategy to check breeding of mosquitoes that transmit the disease.
Task forces created by the civic agency in all the 12 zones of the MCD are carrying out fogging operations and door-to-door drive to check breeding of mosquitoes.
Legal notices issued and fines imposed
Municipal authorities issued legal notices to residents and organizations after dengue larvae were found breeding openly in homes, offices, back-lanes, drains and on roadsides. In addition, penal action is being taken on places that have “potential for breeding”.
Over 1,300 people, including contractors of three Commonwealth Games projects, were fined by the MCD for allowing water to stagnate at a site, making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes on the premises.
Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain stated, “We had gone there for an inspection last week and fined the officials for allowing water stagnation.”
About dengue
Dengue is a mosquito-borne seasonal virus transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any of four closely related viruses (DENV 1-4).
The common symptoms of the disease are high fever, throbbing headache, pain in joints, bones and muscles. Other signs include rashes and mild bleeding from nose or gums.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), a severe form of dengue infection, can be lethal if not detected in time.
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