As dengue cases continue to trickle in from various parts of the erstwhile composite Khammam district in the midst of monsoon season, the official machinery has embarked on a special drive with twin objectives of ensuring sanitation and controlling the mosquito menace at the larval stage by eliminating potential breeding sites in urban and rural areas.
Several mandals in Khammam district including Nelakondapalli, Enkoor, and parts of Khammam town as well as Dummugudem, Charla, Tekulapally and other Agency mandals in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district recorded a surge in cases of vector-borne and other seasonal diseases in the past few days.
This has prompted the official machinery to intensify anti-larval operations with a focus on high-risk areas prone to frequent stagnation of water during rainy season.
The surge in cases of dengue in different parts of Khammam district kept the health machinery on its toes even as the COVID-19 positivity rate dropped to 0.8%, well under control at less than 1 %, in the district.
Sources said that two suspected dengue-related deaths were reported from K Lakshmipuram in Dummugudem mandal and a tribal habitation under Rampuram Gram Panchayat in Tekulapally mandal of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district on Tuesday.
But the officials concerned did not acknowledge any deaths due to dengue anywhere in the district so far this year. According to official data, as many as 81 dengue cases were reported till date this year as compared to 26 cases recorded during the corresponding period last year in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. The district recorded 229 malaria cases so far this year as against 300 cases reported the previous year.
