Dengue sting in Telangana

Hyderabad: Telangana is under the grip of dengue fever with scores of positive cases registered across the state and no wonder it ranks second in the country among the most-affected States. Telangana registered a whopping 8,564 dengue positive cases this year, with most of the cases during the monsoon season.

In the data shared with the Union Health Ministry, Telangana put the number of dengue deaths at two. The Union Health Ministry is not satisfied with what has been done in Telangana to control the spiralling of the vector-borne disease.

A four-member team from the Union Health Ministry comprising Dr Suman Latha (DD, national vector-borne diseases control), consultant Kaushal Kumar and two other officials -- Pranav Kumar Varma and Sahith Goel were in Hyderabad to take stock of the situation in Telangana.

According to the Central team, Karnataka was the worst affected with 13,200 positive dengue cases followed by Telangana and Uttarakhand with 8,300 cases. However, when it comes to the number of deaths Telangana is at third with only two deaths. Karnataka registered 12 deaths while Uttarakhand 8 this year.

The jump in the number of positive cases is being attributed to more rainy days stretching up to September and October and a greater number of reporting units conducting dengue tests (government and private hospitals, and diagnostic centres that crossed350 this year).

Dr Suman Latha from the Central team, who is also the nodal officer for the Telangana, stated that the Health Department alone cannot find a solution to the problem.Various government wings have to work in tandem while citizens, communities and societies have to pitch in by keeping their houses and premises free from stagnated water which helps in curbing breeding of Aedes aegypti mosquito resulting in dengue fever.

Echoing the same sentiments, another member Kaushal Kumar stated that the Centre was extending support to dengue-affected states by sending teams to hold meetings and guide them. The good thing as far as Telangana is concerned is that the number of positive cases per day are coming down now compared to a few weeks ago, he stressed.