13-year-old boy dies in Bhubaneswar, dengue suspected

BHUBANESWAR: A 13-year-old boy, resident of Sailashree Vihar, is believed to be the first dengue death in the city this season though city authorities said the death won’t be taken as confirmatory yet as dengue was detected through a rapid test and not Elisa test.
The city health authorities said the boy was received dead at a private hospital on Monday. He had suspected case of dengue as his family members were carrying a rapid test report with them. “The patient’s relatives showed a dengue rapid test report, which was positive, during his hospital admission. The hospital authorities informed us. But to be doubly sure, we have sent a team to the boy’s home. Other members of the family will undergo Elisa test,” said Antaryami Mishra, additional district urban public health officer (ADUPHO). He said the boy had other medical conditions as well.
With dengue spreading to new areas here, the number of infected people are now 391 till Monday evening. Sailashree Vihar, Niladri Vihar, Pati and some parts of Chandrasekharpur, areas that come under the north zone of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), reported dengue cases three weeks ago. But it spread to other areas very fast even as the BMC continue to dismantle at least 30 dengue breeding sources regularly.
With 30 new cases on Tuesday, cumulative dengue cases in the city rose to 421.
With Covid more of a concern, the spread of dengue appears to be a yet another tough challenge for city authorities. In 2018, dengue cases had crossed 1000. But last year, when the pandemic broke out, the city hardly reported any dengue cases. With Covid cases, the monsoon has brought home dengue infection. Awareness drive is on.
“People need to ensure that they don’t keep stagnant water at home or outside as they lead to breeding of mosquitoes. Authorities are fully geared up to face the menace but people should show responsible behaviour,” Mishra added.