'3 Dengue deaths, 404 cases confirmed in DK'

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth S Senthil said 404 Dengue cases and three deaths have been confirmed in the district so far.

The DC told mediapersons in DC office on Friday that Elisa tests had confirmed 250 cases in Mangaluru taluk, 42 cases in Bantwal taluk, 67 cases in Puttur taluk, 22 cases in Belthangady taluk and 23 cases in Sullia taluk.

“The disease had claimed the lives of Veena Nayak from Kadaba, Krish, an eight-year-old student from Kodialbail and Shraddha Shetty, a 13-year-old student from Gujjarakere,” the DC said.

Team of experts

Among the Dengue-effected people, some have developed HLH complications, which is normally found in viral fever. But it is rare in Dengue. The complication results in white blood cells of the body destroying the red blood cells. The samples had been sent to Manipal Hospital for further laboratory investigations.

The government had formed a team of expert doctors Dr Muhammed Sharrif, Dr Ravi and Dr R G Prakash Kumar to conduct a study in this regard.

A command centre has been established to take measures towards control of the vectors and to prevent vector-human contact, by carrying at source reduction.

Two other teams were formed under the chairmanship of DC to implement control measures including fogging and conducting awareness.

Fogging will be done inside the houses in Dengue affected areas. Fogging outside houses will result in Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes entering houses and taking shelter in dark corners of the house. They bite during the daytime.

The people should take precautionary measures by using mosquito nets, vaporisers and so on.

“People can do the fogging themselves by using ‘Sambrani’ and dry neem leaves. Neem oil repels mosquitoes and can be smeared on the body. The public need not panic,” deputy commissioner assured

Senthil warned of imposing heavy fines on the owners of construction sites and commercial complexes who do not destroy the mosquito breeding sites in their places.

The symptoms of Dengue are high fever, body ache, severe headache, rashes on body and bleeding from mouth, nostrils and gums (serious condition).