Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jul 24: Dakshina Kannada district has been witnessing a meteoric rise in dengue cases. On Tuesday July 23, as many as 29 more persons got admitted into different hospitals in the district with dengue-like symptoms.
The district administration, health department and Mangaluru City Corporation have been putting in concerted efforts to bring dengue fever under control. Fogging, house to house visits etc are being conducted.
Out of 29 new cases reported on Tuesday, 26 are from the city, another patient is from Sullia, while two others are from outside the district. Since July 18, around 163 have got admitted into various hospitals for suspected dengue. 19 out of them are from outside Dakshina Kannada.
The officials continued to scout for mosquito breeding centres created by under-construction buildings and penalize the builders and contractors. On Tuesday, fine of Rs 45,000 was collected. The deputy commissioner has issued strict instructions to act against buildings and commercial centres where stagnated water is allowed to become breeding ground for mosquitoes.
In the meanwhile, additional chief secretary of the state government and in-charge secretary for Dakshina Kannada, B H Anil Kumar, has asked the officials to take every step possible to control spread of dengue. Speaking at the district progress review meeting on Tuesday, he wanted the activities already being taken against spread of infectious diseases to be intensified. The deputy commissioner said that an official of health department has been suspended for neglecting anti-dengue operations.
Dengue has also been affecting the media with four journalists being treated in different private hospitals. Six have got treated and discharged. It is said that some more are suffering from suspected dengue, which they infected during their visit to different areas for reporting dengue cases. It may be recalled that Nagesh Padu, a cameraman of a private news channel, had breathed his last due to dengue on Sunday.