The incidence of dengue fever seems to be getting out of hand in the State with nearly 150 confirmed cases reported on an average daily.
On Tuesday, according to the figures of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, 220 new cases were reported across the State, out of which 130 cases were from Thiruvananthapuram.
The total number of confirmed dengue cases this year so far has reached 6,340, while the suspected dengue cases have crossed an unprecedented 20,882. The IDSP also reports about 30 suspected dengue deaths from the State, while the confirmed deaths number 11.
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At this rate, the State could be experiencing an epidemic worse than in 2013, when 7,938 confirmed cases of dengue and 29 dengue deaths were reported. With the monsoon having just begun, the epidemic is all set to worsen, it is pointed out.
The Health Department claims that the population of Aedes species of mosquitoes rose to explosive levels due to climate change issues, severe drought and intermittent summer rains and that cases had begun to increase this year since February itself even though pre-monsoon epidemic preparedness measures had been organised in an intensive manner.
A statement issued by the Director of Health Services said that intensive vector control drives, source reduction and cleaning drives were on in a big way in all parts of the State now. It said that dengue hotspots had been marked in all districts where field-level activities had been intensified.
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Control rooms were functioning is district headquarters and at the DHS headquarters here. Fever clinics and fever wards had been specially opened in all hospitals and that outreach medical camps and mobile clinics were also being organised. The Health Department has appealed to the public to ensure that their surroundings were clean and that there was no water stagnation around houses and also take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites.