Spurt in dengue cases; over 1,300 cases reported in the last month alone

There have been no deaths so far

Even as the State is seeing a wane in COVID-19 cases, there has been a spurt in dengue cases with 1,303 cases being reported in the last one month alone. The State has reported a total of 4,398 cases from January till date (October 18). However, there have been no deaths so far. In 2020, the State had reported 3,685 cases from January to December.

With 16% of the State’s total cases in 2021 being reported in Bengaluru, the city continued to record the highest number of positive cases. From 351 cases in July, Bengaluru’s dengue tally has doubled to touch 717 as on October 18.

Hospitals in the city are getting over 20 patients with suspected dengue almost every day. Doctors said they are seeing 7-8 admissions every day. This is a common scenario in most hospitals for the past three weeks as there is also a surge in viral fever and related ailments. Doctors at the State-run Victoria and K.C. General Hospitals said they are seeing over 20 patients every day with viral fever and dengue-like symptoms. “Of these, on an average 10 test positive for dengue and 7-8 require admissions every day,” said a senior doctor from the Department of Medicine at Victoria Hospital.

“We have admitted over 70 patients, especially paediatric cases, for viral fever and suspected dengue since the last two weeks,” said B.R. Venkateshaiah, medical superintendent of K.C. General Hospital.

Attributing the spurt to the huge surge in density of mosquito population, Pramod V. Satya, consultant (internal medicine) and diabetologist at Vikram hospitals (a unit of Manipal Hospitals), said early symptoms of fever and body pain should not be ignored.

Cases in districts

According to data from the State Health and Family Welfare Department, Kalaburagi has recorded the highest number (369) among districts other than Bengaluru. Kalaburagi is followed by Shivamogga (322), Udupi (312), and Dakshina Kannada (221).

Health officials said dengue in Karnataka has been following a pattern of spiking every alternate year. According to data, 6,083 cases and eight deaths were reported in 2016 while 17,844 cases and 10 deaths were reported in 2017 followed by 4,848 cases and four deaths in 2018. The next year, the State saw 18,183 cases and 17 deaths followed by 3,685 cases in 2020. “Although only 1,234 dengue cases were reported till July 2, the numbers have shot up to 4,398 now. Cases are likely to further go up after the rains,” said a senior health official from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

K.V. Trilok Chandra, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health), attributed the dengue spurt to intermittent rains and resultant water logging.

“After the lockdown, construction activities have resumed in the city where mosquito breeding is rampant. I have directed the field officials to step up surveillance and intensify preventive measures. A door-to-door survey is being taken up to check larvae breeding in open water storage containers and create awareness on prevention,” he said.

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