Telangana Health department sounds alert in GHMC as dengue cases spike

Hyderabad: In view of the increase in dengue cases, the State Public Health department on Friday issued an alert urging citizens in the GHMC limits and the surrounding areas to be cautious and take precautions against the disease.

According to Director of Public Health (DPHO) Dr G Srinivasa Rao, there has been a spike in vector-borne diseases in the city, as a total of 158 dengue cases have been reported in the GHMC limits. It has become a major concern, even as the monsoon is yet to set in across the State. Dr Rao said, "Of 158 dengue positive cases, 103 have been undergoing treatment in government hospitals, while the rest are in private hospitals. Almost all cases are from slums in the city," he stated.

Rao also said the Health department, in collaboration with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), conducted 182 health camps in slum settlements; more than 10,000 have been treated. He said 18,000 households were surveyed and 64 water samples collected from different areas which had tested positive for dengue.

The monsoon is about to start; this is the right time for people at individual level to start taking measures and get rid of stagnant water in households, advised Dr Rao. In the previous year during the monsoon, between July and August, over 1,900 dengue cases were reported from across the State; Hyderabad recorded about 500 cases.

Experts say Breteau Index (Bl), used to measure population of Aedes Aegypti mosquito for dengue virus transmission in a city area was 46 per cent, which is also the highest in the State.