Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Aug 28: In spite of herculean efforts put forth by the medical fraternity and health department officials of Dakshina Kannada district to bring dengue fever under control, there has not been let up in the number of people suffering from the disease. During the last eight months, over 800 people from the district have been treated for suspected dengue.
Although there is information that seven to eight persons have died of dengue infection so far this year, the health department has so far assigned death of only three cases dengue, Nagesh Padu, cameraman of a private channel, Veena Nayak from Kadaba, and Shraddha, a student.
It is said that Krish, a student, Sridhar Gowda from Kadaba, Kartik from Bolar Mulihithlu, Madhushree from Salethur, and an eight-year-old girl from Bengre were also victims of dengue, but the health department has not confirmed them as dengue deaths.
After dengue fever spread in areas like Mangaladevi, Jeppu, Arekerebail etc, health department officials had camped there to control the fever. Health camps were held with the help of students of private nursing colleges. House-to-house visits were conducted, and awareness to clear standing water was undertaken. People having larvae breeding grounds were penalized. The district administration had also taken active interest in the drive against dengue.
Although the general feeling is that the number of people getting admitted into hospitals with complaint of dengue is increasing, the health department does not subscribe to this notion. District malaria control officer, Dr Navinchandra, said that a definite figure can be given based on state level report to be received from the department.
People who suffered and died of dengue belonged to areas where dengue has been prevalent. In certain cases, a number of members of the same family had suffered from this disease. It is said that dengue prevalence has gone down in Jeppu Mangaladevi areas whereas cases are even now referred from areas like Mulihithlu, Kallikatta, Bolar, Arya Samaj Road etc in the city.
The health department is yet to receive report about the confirmed cause of death in certain cases. In a few cases, these reports have not been received even after a month. In a couple of cases, people had died a couple of days after being discharged from hospital, but the officials insist that dengue was not the cause of these deaths.
Udupi district health officer, Dr Ashok, said that dengue and malaria infection is mostly found among migrants in the district.