T.N. tops the list in dengue deaths

November 30, 2012 03:08 pm | Updated December 04, 2021 11:44 pm IST - New Delhi

New Delhi :04/03/2011: senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad talking to the media at AIIMS after the death of senior Congress leader Arjun singh , in New Delhi on March 04,2011. Photo:Sushil Kumar Verma

New Delhi :04/03/2011: senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad talking to the media at AIIMS after the death of senior Congress leader Arjun singh , in New Delhi on March 04,2011. Photo:Sushil Kumar Verma

The number of deaths in the country this year till November 15 due to dengue has touched 216, with Tamil Nadu topping the list with the death of 60 people.

It is followed by Maharashtra 59, Karnataka 21, Punjab 15, Kerala 13, West Bengal 9, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh 6 each and Delhi 4. A total of 35,066 cases were reported in the country till mid-November.

Stating this in the Lok Sabha on Friday while replying to a calling-attention motion on the spreading of dengue and chikungunya, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said a vaccine for dengue was being developed by French company Sanofi Pasteur. He hoped that its world-wide trials would be successful.“Phase III of the trial is on in the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Latin America. In India, trials are taking place in Ludhiana, Kolkata and Delhi. If it passes, the day is not far when we will get it,” he said.

“Chikungunya is a debilitating illness, also caused by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Unlike dengue, chikungunya is non-fatal. The reasons for their outbreak are the same. The total number of suspected chikungunya cases has declined. In 2012, up to mid-November, the total number of reported suspected cases has been 14,227.”

As on date, there was no vaccine or drug available for prevention of dengue and chikungunya. Treatment for both was mainly symptomatic. In severe cases of dengue, blood/ platelet transfusion might be required.

Mr. Azad, who said he himself was affected with dengue in 2003, added that the problem was not limited to India. Five crore people were affected worldwide.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.