The death of a two year old girl of dengue at KIMS Hospital in the city has put a spotlight on the rising number of dengue cases in the city this year. As per Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Department records, there have been 4,065 positive cases for dengue and six deaths in the State. These figures are inching close to last year’s numbers, when 5,077 confirmed cases and nine deaths from dengue were reported in Karnataka.
Navyashree was taken to Vani Vilas Hospital early in the morning on Monday. She was in dengue shock, which is characterised by very low blood pressure and extreme weakness in the patient. As Vani Vilas Hospital did not have ventilator available, the toddler was shifted to KIMS Hospital where she was put under ventilator, but she could not be saved.
KIMS Medical Superintendent Priyaranjini S. Pradeep said that it was too late to save the child. "There has been a rise in mortality rate in dengue fever this year, compared to last year,” said Srinivasa S., HOD and professor of Paediatrics, KIMS Hospital.
BBMP Health Officer Lokesh said that department officials were taking proactive steps to contain the spread of dengue and there was no cause for panic. "Our medical officers have undertaken larval survey in and around the child's house in Bapuji Nagar and it appears to be an isolated case in the area," said Dr. Lokesh. He added that the case could not be called a confirmed case of dengue as the hospital had not sent the sample to the National Institute of Virology laboratory for ELISA test.
Describing how to distinguish if a fever could be viral, Dr. Srinivasa said that cases of fever coupled with multiple symptoms tended to be viral in nature. "If the patient has throat pain, fever, body pain and other symptoms together, it may point towards a viral infection," he explained.