88% in mth: Rash rise in dengue

Ludhiana: As the district’s cases of dengue’s fever increase 88% from the past month, the health department has made a public appeal for remaining vigilant against the vector-borne disease. The patient count had reached 113 by Monday, lower significantly than previous years but still a cause for concern.

The district health department’s comapred this data gathered between Jan 1 and Oct 14 this year to the 460 cases it had detected in the corresponding period of 2023 and to 211 recorded in 2022. Despite the overall decline in cases, the past month saw a sharp increase, where the reported number jumped from 60 on Sept 15 to 113 by mid-Oct.

Of the total cases this year, 58 were from urban areas, with Ludhiana city accounting for 52, Khanna for five, and Jagraon for another. In the rural areas, 55 cases were recorded, with Koom Kalan leading with 15, Sahnewal with 14, and Manupur reporting 12. Notably, four rural blocks reported no dengue cases at all.

District epidemiologist Dr Sheetal Narang said the health department had intensified efforts to control the spread of dengue’s fever, deploying 18 teams in Ludhiana city and 230 in the rural areas. These teams include multipurpose healthcare workers, auxiliary nurses, and ASHA workers who conduct breeding checks and destroy mosquito larvae. Fifty breeding checkers have been deployed in both urban and rural areas to monitor mosquito breeding and raise awareness.

As part of prevention efforts, every Friday is observed as "Dry Day" under the state’s ‘Har Shukarwar, Dengue Par Vaar’ campaign, during which the residents are encouraged to eliminate stagnant water from vases, flower pots, and other containers to break the mosquito breeding cycle. The teams from the health department also survey govt and semi-govt offices.

Experts such as Punjab IMA president Dr Sunil Katyal advise residents to cover the exposed skin, use mosquito repellents, and avoid standing water to reduce the risk of mosquito bites. He also stressed the importance of maintaining a nutritious diet to boost immunity. For those showing symptoms of dengue’s fever, free screening is available at the subdivisional hospitals of Khanna and Jagraon, and at the civil hospital of Ludhiana, where sentinel laboratories are operational. Doctors call for heightened awareness and preventive measures to prevent an outbreak.

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