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Dengue cases double in a year

Last Updated 24 October 2015, 19:26 IST

There is no let up in Dengue cases across the City and State. Check the statistics. Compared to October last year, the number of cases reported this year has doubled.

State health and family welfare department figures show that 4,158 cases were reported this year, up from 2,036 cases during the same period last year.

But there is a similarity in trend: Bengaluru continues to record the highest number of cases. Be it Dengue, Chikungunya or H1N1, the City has always topped the list.
Out of the cases reported last year, 450 positives were from Bengaluru alone. This time, at least 1,249 patients have been confirmed to have the flu.

These statistics, however, are considered to only be a tip of the iceberg with the State government taking into consideration only those cases confirmed by the National Institute of Virology. Doctors at the Institute, on condition of anonymity, had revealed in the past that they get only abut 30 per cent of the City’s samples for examination.

Dengue is no more just epidemic but has also turned endemic, say doctors who have been seeing patients walk into the out patient department in large numbers even during off season.

“Usually, we would see cases between May to June and in October. This time, the numbers are yet to come down completely. Even though it is not as  high as during September, it is not as minimal either. Even last month, the severity of the flu was such that two had to be put under intensive care,” recalls Dr Anil Sapare, head of the department, Department of pediatrics, Narayana Health.

Potholes and unused tyres in every corner of the lane are good breeding grounds for mosquitoes, he says. “These mosquitoes need no lakes to breed. Even small pot holes after rains are good enough.”

Ask doctors about the rapid increase in cases and they say that Bengaluru has failed to cope with rapid growth. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Dr Veeranna Gowda, head of the department, department of medicine, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute points at several factors including poor waste management and improper sanitation that could have led to the spurt in the number of cases.

“It is time people stop blaming the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. A lot can be done to work towards prevention of the disease at a personal level. People do not bother about water bottles lying around the place or water getting collected in coconut shells. If this can be looked into, a lot many cases can be prevented,” he says.

In addition to this, Dr Gowda opines that it is unscientific waste disposal that has put the City at a risk of health hazards. “The City is growing rapidly. We are unable to cope up with appropriate infrastructure. Better sanitation is also needed,” he explains.

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(Published 24 October 2015, 19:26 IST)

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