Govt denies any dengue death in Bihar

PATNA: Three people reportedly died of dengue in the state within a week, but the state health department issued a denial on Monday.
According to sources, anaesthetist Dr Vijay Kumar died on October 10 in a private hospital at Patna when his platelets level plunged to dangerous levels. Other reports stated that Dr Vasudev Prasad from Siwan and Sangita Kumari, the district programme officer of Integrated Child Development Services in Gopalganj, also died of dengue.

“This year no death happened in the state due to dengue,” state programme officer (vector-borne disease) Dr M P Sharma told reporters on Monday in the presence of health minister Mangal Pandey and principal secretary (health) Sanjay Kumar.

“We cannot say the reported deaths were due to dengue unless we get lab test reports to confirm that,” Pandey said and asked people not to panic. “There is no shortage of platelets. People in need of platelets will find it at Patna Medical College and Hospital and Jai Prabha Hospital in Patna,” he said.

Principal secretary Sanjay said the number of dengue cases actually declined this year compared to last year. “Total 728 dengue cases were reported across the state from January 1 to October 13 in 2017 while the number during that period this year is only 374,” Sanjay said.

The government’s claims apart, epidemiologist Dr Ragini Mishra said 27 districts were affected with dengue and 238 cases had been confirmed in Patna alone. “But the figure this year is 20-30% less than the previous year,” she said. Dr Ragini said a large number of people residing in other states and affected by dengue were coming home to celebrate festivals. “That may be one reason the number of dengue patients are on the rise in Bihar,” she said.

Nalanda, Vaishali, Gaya and Muzaffarpur are among the affected districts. Dengue is caused by the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquito and it leads to high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains.

Earlier on September 4, state health department issued an alert for dengue and chikungunya and asked all public and private hospitals to report such cases.

“Fogging is also a method for vector control in which malathion and temefos are sprinkled,” Dr Ragini said.