3 more test positive for dengue in Gurugram, count rises to four

GURUGRAM: Three more cases of dengue have been confirmed in the city, taking the total count to four this season.
While a 30-year-old man from Bhondsi village and a 17-year-old girl from Sun City area have been detected with dengue, another man in his 30s from Naurangpur village has been found to be suffering from the disease. These three cases were reported on July 23 and 24. Earlier, a 40-year-old patient from DLF 5 area was admitted to a private on July 19 with dengue-like symptoms. Later, tests confirmed dengue.

Pradeep Kumar, a senior health officer, said, “All these cases have been confirmed in the medical tests.”

So far this year, a total of 33 suspected cases of dengue have been reported in the city, promoting authorities to step up measures to prevent vector-borne diseases and create awareness among residents.

According to doctors, people need to take extra precautions in the wake of monsoon. There is a higher chance of breeding of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which causes dengue, if the water in potholes, tyres and flower pots in houses is not removed, a health official said. Doctors, on the other hand, said people suffering from high fever, coupled with skin rashes, pain in the eye and bodyache, should get tests done at the earliest. According to district health authorities, it takes 24-48 hours to get the confirmation reports from the lab located at Gurugram General Hospital that collects samples twice a week for tests from across the city.

Elaborating on steps being taken by the administration, chief medical officer Gulshan Arora said, “While MCG has deployed teams for fogging within the city limits, panchayats are monitoring similar drives in villages of the district. Doctors have been instructed to treat fever patients on a priority basis. And hospitals have been told to keep suspected dengue cases in separate rooms.”

Arora, however, said there was no need to panic as yet because the number of dengue cases this year was still low as compared to that reported last year. An official at the district epidemiology centre said 66 cases of dengue, 44 cases of malaria and three cases of chikungunya were reported between April and December 2017. “Most of those cases took place between August and September. So, these two months are crucial.” he said.