Nagpur is grappling with a concerning surge in dengue fever cases, particularly in the first 17 days of August. Shockingly, 926 individuals were flagged as suspects, out of which 95 cases have been confirmed as dengue infections. Comparatively, the preceding seven months of the year reported a lower count of 875 suspects, with 113 cases confirming dengue.
Both the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's (NMC) health department and the malaria-filaria department have released official data regarding this unsettling trend. The NMC considers a dengue suspect as positive only when ELISA test results validate the diagnosis. Concurrently, local hospitals, whether public or private, are grappling with an influx of patients suffering from fever and dengue symptoms.
Tragically, dengue has claimed the lives of a BJP worker and a young woman in East Nagpur. However, the NMC administration has yet to attribute these fatalities directly to dengue.
In response to the growing concern, the NMC administration has initiated house surveys ostensibly to curb dengue-spreading mosquitoes. Yet, due to limited spraying and fogging efforts, mosquito populations are proliferating. Remarkably, the scope of the survey is confined to areas where suspect cases have emerged.
The outskirts of the city and stagnant water in trenches have emerged as breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes. Meanwhile, another mosquito-borne illness, Chikungunya, remains well under control this season, with only four patients reported from January 1 to August 17. Specifically, one Chikungunya case emerged in February, followed by two in June, and another in July, as documented by the NMC health department.
The surge in dengue cases calls for heightened efforts in mosquito control and disease prevention as the city grapples with this alarming health crisis.