Dengue cases on the rise again

[Shiloh]

Source: http://keralaonline.com/news/dengue-...ise_28990.html

* By KOL News , Written on March 30, 2009
Dengue cases on the rise again

Thiruvananthapuram, Monday 30 March 2009: The summer showers may have brought respite from the sweltering heat, but it has resulted in a slight increase in the number of dengue cases in the district.

Following intensive preventive and control activities, dengue incidence has been showing a downward trend in the district since February-end. The number of cases has come down from 207 in January to 133 in February.

Apart from intensified vector-control measures, the high summer temperature has helped to keep the vector density down. Public health experts had warned that the health system needed to continue vigil as one spell of rain could change the picture.

The declining trend would have continued as hardly two or three cases were reported in March. But after this lull, five cases were reported from various Corporation areas last Tuesday.

Health Department officials attribute this to the summer showers received in the city the week before.

The breeding habits of the Aedes Aegypti species of mosquito make this vector virtually impossible to be destroyed. The female of the species lays eggs on any wet surface and it does not even require a water pool. These eggs have the capacity to stay alive for up to a year or more even in dry conditions.

The eggs come alive and hatch as soon as the first summer shower occurs. If the eggs are virus-laden, as soon as the adult mosquito emerges, it is ready to transmit the virus. Thus, a spurt in dengue cases is to be expected after summer showers.

Slackening of control activities in the field can thus lead to a public health issue again. Health officials have warned the public to be on continuous vigil and to ensure that water does not stagnate in coconut shells, unused plastic vessels or tyres after the rain.

Eliminating a single source of breeding is as good as destroying thousands of mosquitoes, the District Medical Officer said. Till now, 350 cases of dengue fever and one dengue-related death has been reported in the district.

[Shiloh]

Re: Dengue cases on the rise again

Source: http://www.zeenews.com/news530222.html

24 cases of dengue fever in Kottayam district

Kottayam, May 08: The District medical office has confirmed 24 case of dengue fever and 76 suspected cases in Kottayam district.

Only one case of dengue fever was confirmed in Kottayam municipal corporation area, DMO S Valsalakumari told presspersons here today.

She said majority of the cases were reported from Erumeli and Kanjirapally.

A health programme including awareness measures would be implemented in the district by taking into account the coming monsoon season.

The programme, organised by the district health department would be inaugurated by Health and Social Welfare Minister P K Sreemathi Teacher on May 14.

Bureau Report

[Shiloh]

Re: Dengue cases on the rise again

Source: http://keralaonline.com/news/3-dengu...ram_46634.html


3 dengue cases reported at Vamanapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, Monday 25 May 2009: Three cases of dengue fever have been reported from the Vamanapuram area on Sunday leading the Health Department to initiate measures to seek out and destroy ?at source? the mosquito that spreads the disease.

Officials are trying to ascertain whether the three cases are an indication of a widespread outbreak of the disease in the area. District Medical Officer N. Sreedhar said the department had geared up to tackle the situation at Vamanapuram.

A number of cases of fever, particularly in children, were reported from the Neyyattinkara Taluk Hospital, Dr. Sreedhar said. While this may be due to the sudden change in the weather, a team from the Health Department would investigate these incidents, Dr. Sreedhar said.

The throat swabs taken from a 10-year-old boy who developed influenza-like symptoms after returning from the United States recently had been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases to be tested for swine flu. The results were expected by Monday afternoon.

[Shiloh]

Re: Dengue cases on the rise again

Source: http://keralaonline.com/news/dengue-...pus_49933.html


Dengue outbreak again on med. college Dengue

Thiruvananthapuram, Monday 08 June 2009: Dengue fever has hit the Medical College campus here again, barely a month after the authorities had managed to contain a major outbreak which had affected a large number of house surgeons and labourers engaged in construction work on the campus.

In the past one week, at least 25 students of the nursing hostel and the paramedical sciences hostel have been down with fever and four of them are currently hospitalised. With three cases already being confirmed as dengue fever, this could be yet another outbreak of dengue, it is feared.

A team deputed by the district health administration and the Prevention of Epidemics and Infectious Diseases Cell in Medical College have commenced spraying activities in the affected areas inside the MCH campus.

The outbreak in April had recorded at least 75 to 100 probable cases of dengue, even though official figures spoke only about the 45 confirmed cases.

The epicentre of the outbreak had been found to be the new Super Speciality block under construction, where water stagnation during construction work had led to the massive breeding of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes.

Those affected during the April outbreak ? the first one in the district this year ? were mostly the residents of the House Surgeons? Quarters (HSQ) and students of the nursing hostel.

The outbreak had affected the migrant labourers? camp as well as some residential colonies adjacent to the MCH campus. One death had also been recorded, that of a labourer engaged in aluminium fabrication work in the construction site.

Following this, an intensive dengue containment and vector control drive had been launched in Medical College campus by roping in various departments, including the housekeeping divisions at Medical College, the Medical Education division, the district health administration, city Corporation as well as the ASHA and Kudumbasree workers.

A fever ward had been opened at the hospital with fever patients confined under mosquito nets to prevent the infection being spread to patients in other wards.

(News agency)