Gurugram: 28 dengue cases in 3 days, tally reaches 83

GURUGRAM: Twenty-eight more patients tested positive for dengue between Wednesday and Friday, with the number of cases reaching 83 this year. Doctors said the number might increase further due to the recent rains. The health department, meanwhile, has sent 20 samples for sero testing to identify the viral strain affecting people.
Dr Rajiv Dang, senior director and department head of internal medicine and medical director at Max Hospital, said, "Dengue cases are on the rise likely because of water accumulation at places and more Aedes mosquitoes. Besides, we are still going through a humid and warm climate, with people wearing shorts to keep their legs or lower body uncovered. Mosquitoes often bite on these parts."
Experts advised people to identify and eliminate mosquito-breeding sites by emptying stagnant water from containers during the rains. Dengue symptoms, they noted, include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a characteristic measles-like skin rash.
Meanwhile, chief medical officer Virender Yadav said, "We have sent 20 blood samples from dengue-positive patients for sero testing, which will help identify the strain and deal with cases easily."
The health department has identified 18 dengue hotspots in the district. Apart from Wazirabad, some other hotspots are Gurgaon village, Garhi, Daultabad, Pataudi, Bhondsi, Badshapur, Sohna and Tigra. The department is also conducting fogging and anti-larvae drives in these hotspot areas.
The municipal corporation has set up a control room for people to call and place requests. Officials said people could call them at 1800-1801-817 daily between 9 am and 5 pm to request fogging in their areas.
The government's health and medical facilities have started evening outpatient departments, functioning from 3-7 pm daily, to detect dengue cases faster.
Dang said, "Most of the patients that we are getting with high-degree fever on Day 1 or 2 turn out dengue positive. We require platelets substitution in several cases, so a patient admitted on Day 2 might have to stay in the hospital for three to four days."
In the past, the city saw the maximum number of dengue cases in 2015, when 451 patients tested positive. This figure stood at 86 in 2016, 66 in 2017and 93 in 2018. In 2019, the city reported 22 dengue cases. The number of cases rose to 329 last year.