A seven-year-old boy of Dandu Bazaar area of the city died due to dengue at the King George Hospital on Thursday morning. This is the first death due to dengue in the city and district this year.
Superintendent in-charge of KGH G. Arjuna said the boy was admitted in the Intensive Respiratory Care Unit of the hospital on September 26 and had tested positive. He died around 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The number of dengue positive cases in the district was 670 so far and the first death was reported now, DMHO J. Sarojini told The Hindu . There were 85 cases last year and only one patient died, in Bheemunipatnam area.
“The spurt in number of cases this year might be due to some reasons like the weather which was irregular with heat conditions and heavy rains, stagnation of fresh water in or around households in which the dengue-causing mosquito Aedes, a probable anti-genetic variation in the virus that causes dengue which is being investigated in a Delhi laboratory, while more awareness among people about dengue and intensive drive and surveillance that resulted in the private hospitals reporting every dengue case to the authorities.
Under surveillance
Each and every case is being followed and areas from which dengue cases are reported are kept under surveillance and anti-mosquito steps like spraying anti-mosquito chemical are being taken, she said.
“What is required most to prevent dengue is keeping the premises clean and not allow stagnation of fresh water at any cost. Fresh water should not be allowed to remain in used tyres, broken coconut shells, unused or broken plastic containers, etc.”, Dr. Sarojini said.
Treatment for dengue is symptomatic and not all dengue fevers turn out to be fatal.
“There is also no need to transfuse blood in every case of dengue. Platelets are needed if the count drops to 20,000 or below as per the WHO guidelines and even if the count drops from 2 lakh to 1 lakh there is no need to become panic”, the DMHO said.
Meanwhile at a press conference GMVC Commissioner M. Harinarayanan said 80,000 households have been verified and 520 dengue positive cases have been reported in the GVMC area. All measures to control dengue are being taken, he added.
