India Registers Significant Spike In Dengue Cases, Kerala Worst Affected With 20 Deaths

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India Registers Significant Spike In Dengue Cases, Kerala Worst Affected With 20 Deaths

As per official data from the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control, in September alone, 63,280 cases and 44 deaths were recorded in India due to dengue. The viral disease has grappled twelve Indian states so far.

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While the monsoon is a breeding ground for vector-borne mosquitoes that spread dengue, the delayed season has only facilitated prolonged breeding grounds for these insects. As a result, the viral disease has grappled twelve Indian states so far, with most of its impact in the northern and eastern regions.

As per official data from the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control, in September alone, 63,280 cases and 44 deaths were recorded in India due to dengue. Of these, Kerala had reported 20 deaths, the highest of the states and Union Territories. But as many as 20,000 cases were registered across the country in October, making the issue even more severe.

Delhi And Kolkata Among Most Affected

This year, on November 2, the Delhi Police stated that the station house officer (SHO) of Sarita Vihar police station, Rajneesh Sharma, died of dengue after being hospitalised for almost five days. The disease has been spreading rapidly in the national capital region, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi stating that it recorded 2,175 dengue cases as of October 26. Of these, 1,200 cases were from October – the highest recorded data for the month in the last five years, a report by NDTV states.

In Kolkata, dengue cases have multiplied by three times in October, with North 24 Paraganas recording the highest number of infections – 10,000 dengue cases, of which 1,166 were recorded in the last week. So far, three dengue deaths have been reported from West Bengal, and 348 are undergoing treatment at a recognised medical facility, The New Indian Express reported.

However, the state government has not yet published the total number of deaths caused by dengue this season.

Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow has recorded 42 fresh cases of dengue in the last 24 hours and 161 infections in the previous four days, indicating the rapid spread of the disease. From the northeast, Assam and Manipur alone have recorded 700 deaths so far, with seven deaths caused by the disease. The situation has become grim enough for the most affected Assamese hill town – Karbi Anglong – to shut down all educational institutes for five days as a preventive measure.

Preventive Measures To Take Against Dengue

Dengue spreads from one person to another when the female mosquito (Aedes Aegypti) bites, takes the infected person's blood, and transmits it to a healthy person through a bite. The disease causes symptoms like headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, joint or muscle pains, and rashes on the skin. The symptoms usually last from two to seven days.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), one can protect themselves from the disease by using mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, keeping their house clean and tidy, cleaning up any stagnant water lying around the house, and screening the doors and windows to keep out mosquitoes.

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