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Source: http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/inde...d=20091214200912140254447448f549f57§xslt=
Dengue scare in city: 408 cases till now
10 cases registered in December alone; numbers may rise if heat continues
By Hemington James
Posted On Monday, December 14, 2009 at 02:54:44 AM
The city may be facing a dengue scare with aedes aegypti mosquito striking again. AMC Health Department figures state that the city has registered 408 cases of dengue this year till now; 10 cases have been detected in December alone.
Most victims are in the 25-45 year age group. The figure may swell ? officials say it may cross 440 ? if the winter does not set in properly. Last year 410 dengue cases were registered.
The AMC on its part is continuing its fumigation drive and has distributed pamphlets informing people about vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, falciparum and chikungunya and ways to prevent them.
Dr V K Kohli, assistant entomologist with the health department said, ?Vector-borne diseases will rise with the rise in temperature. Though we have been able to control the spread of such diseases, we need to have intensified drives.?Aedes aegypti is terrorist number 1, the worst of all the mosquitoes as it causes dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Kohli added.
?Because of its black stripes, it is also called the tiger mosquito,? he said. Infants and pregnant ladies or those who don?t venture out much are more susceptible as the mosquito bites during day. ?There is no cure,? he said.
LOOK OUT FOR THESE SYMPTOMS
? Sudden high fever, rash severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain.
? Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common.
? With dengue hemorrhagic fever, blood vessels start to leak causing bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in about 5 per cent of cases.
? Symptoms appear 4 to 6 days after the mosquito bite. An infected person cannot spread the infection to other persons but can be a source of dengue virus for mosquitoes for about six days.
Dengue scare in city: 408 cases till now
10 cases registered in December alone; numbers may rise if heat continues
By Hemington James
Posted On Monday, December 14, 2009 at 02:54:44 AM
The city may be facing a dengue scare with aedes aegypti mosquito striking again. AMC Health Department figures state that the city has registered 408 cases of dengue this year till now; 10 cases have been detected in December alone.
Most victims are in the 25-45 year age group. The figure may swell ? officials say it may cross 440 ? if the winter does not set in properly. Last year 410 dengue cases were registered.
The AMC on its part is continuing its fumigation drive and has distributed pamphlets informing people about vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, falciparum and chikungunya and ways to prevent them.
Dr V K Kohli, assistant entomologist with the health department said, ?Vector-borne diseases will rise with the rise in temperature. Though we have been able to control the spread of such diseases, we need to have intensified drives.?Aedes aegypti is terrorist number 1, the worst of all the mosquitoes as it causes dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Kohli added.
?Because of its black stripes, it is also called the tiger mosquito,? he said. Infants and pregnant ladies or those who don?t venture out much are more susceptible as the mosquito bites during day. ?There is no cure,? he said.
LOOK OUT FOR THESE SYMPTOMS
? Sudden high fever, rash severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain.
? Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common.
? With dengue hemorrhagic fever, blood vessels start to leak causing bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in about 5 per cent of cases.
? Symptoms appear 4 to 6 days after the mosquito bite. An infected person cannot spread the infection to other persons but can be a source of dengue virus for mosquitoes for about six days.