Dengue surge in Nagpur: 3 suspected deaths, 98 cases in June

Nagpur: Two children and a middle-aged woman have died, while 98 new dengue cases were detected from 149 samples from across the city by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) malaria and filaria department in June. Just over 100 positive cases were reported in entire 2020.
Till May 7, the city had recorded only six cases this year. The tally has now crossed 150 in just over one month because of the June surge. Among the 98 new cases, 42 fell in the age group of 0-24 years.
The deceased include a seven-month-old boy from Satranjipura, a nine-year-old girl from Dharampeth and a 36-year-old from Hanuman Nagar zone.
The NMC medical committee would investigate the deceased patients’ history to ascertain if they had any comorbidity before confirming them as dengue deaths.
Serum samples of all three have tested positive in the Elisa NS-I test. NMC malaria and filarial officer Dipali Nasare, along with her team, visited the homes of deceased as well as other patients and found large mosquito breeding spots, mainly in coolers and surrounding areas.
Nasare said the 36-year-old was from Rahate Nagar’s slums that are infamous for liquor fermentation. Lots of drums meant for storing water were source of breeding mosquitoes. Construction work was also going on at the deceased’s home, she said.
Nasare added that as private hospitals prefer rapid test for dengue, the department treats all reported cases as suspected until they are confirmed through the more reliable Elisa NS-I test at NMC’s Mahal Diagnostics Centre.
Regarding the surge, she said, “Our survey found coolers are not being drained every week. We are repeatedly asking people to clean their coolers and storage tanks where Aedes aegypti, commonly known as dengue mosquito, breeds. Discarded items too are posing a hurdle in prevention measures.”
She said people need to make similar efforts like they have been doing for Covid-19 prevention.
The prevalence of dengue had gone down by half as compared to last year, until May first week. The city had recorded just six positive cases for the vector-borne diseases from the 30 samples between January and May 7.
The highest number of suspects (16) were reported to the NMC malaria and filaria department in May. Of these, only 14 tested positive. No positive case was recorded in April, when Covid was its peak.
In 2018 and 2019, the NMC had slapped notices on and recovered penalties from schools, hospitals and other commercial establishments after mosquito breeding spots were found on their premises.
The department is running short of hands as staff has been deployed for Covid duties and routine surveys are affected to a large extent.
MIND THE BITE
* Symptoms to look out for
Sudden high-grade fever
Intense pain in forehead, irritation in eyes
Bodyache and rashes on chest, upper body parts
Loss of appetite and taste
Nausea and vomiting
Constant pain in stomach
Unable to sleep and anxiety
Urge to cry
Difficulty in breathing
Intermittent blood vomiting
* How to prevent dengue from spreading
Keep water storage tanks covered all the time
Put two drops of kerosene in cooler tray
Put gappi fish in well or sump
Don’t keep water stored for more than three days at home
Scrub vessel properly before refilling
Keep net on vent pipe
Wear full sleeves clothing during day
Use mosquito net while sleeping
Ensure water doesn’t get contaminated in discarded items
Clear water from tray of fridge
* Treatment
See a doctor and take prescribed medicines with onset of symptoms
Keep self well-hydrated with lots of fluids, sweet water, coconut water and papaya. Drink water every half an hour. Take proper rest
If one member is found dengue positive, all members must be tested