The city continues to report fresh dengue cases daily.
Of the 20 suspected dengue cases reported in the city on Saturday, 15 have tested positive, District Medical Officer R. Renuka has said.
The past few days had seen a steady increase in the number of dengue patients, she said, but there was no need for panic as all government and private hospitals were geared up to meet the situation. People having intermittent fever and headache, pain in the joints, rashes across the body, and pain behind the eyeball should immediately seek medical care. The most important part in treatment of dengue was early detection, and people should avoid self-medication, she said.
Attributing the rising incidence of dengue to the weather conditions and intermittent rain, she said health inspectors had been directed to step up surveillance and awareness programmes on dengue. They had been asked to carry out fogging and indoor spraying within a 100-metre radius in places where the cases were reported, she said.
The public can report cases of suspected dengue to the Health Department’s helpline Disha-1056 so that health inspectors can be alerted to carry out fogging and indoor spraying to kill adult mosquitoes. She said people should allow health workers access to their houses to conduct indoor spraying.
Water collected in grinding stones, tree barks, coconut shells, palmyra leaves, cups, unused tyres, water collected beneath refrigerators, and in air coolers is the breeding ground for mosquitoes on residential premises.
The Health Department has identified a list of hot spots with a high density of Aedes mosquitoes. These include Pangappara, Kottukal, Karakulam, Mukkola, Vizhinjam, Thiruvallam, Vilappil, Kalliyoor, Balaramapuram, Pallichal, Kattakkada, Kadakampally, and Chettivilakam.
