Sporadic cases of dengue reported in city

BANGALORE: There has been a marginal increase in sporadic cases of dengue fever reported in the city over the last two weeks. While two patients at the Manipal Northside Hospital in Malleswaram were diagnosed with dengue last week, two more suspected cases have been admitted this week.
A doctor at St John''s Hospital said a few cases of dengue have been reported in clinics at RT Nagar and surrounding areas.``It is not an epidemic, sporadic cases of dengue are reported throughout the year,'''' warns Medical Superintendent of Bowring Hospital L. Chandramma.
She says cases coming in with malaria and typhoid-like symptoms can be sent for a dengue serum test, ``if there are unusual symptoms like bleeding, rashes and shock-like feeling reported''''. Tests to prove a case of dengue are elaborate and so is the treatment, she adds.
The epidemic which caused panic in Delhi a few years ago, makes BCC work overtime from September to November. ``Post monsoon, when rain water stagnates on roads is when the fever spreads through mosquitoes,'''' says G. Lokesh, BCC zonal officer.
Dengue fever is an acute febrile viral disease with frequent headaches, bone or joint and muscular pain, rash and leukopenia as symptoms. Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) is characterised by four major clinical manifestations: high fever, haemorrhagic phenomena, often with hepatomegaly and in severe cases, signs of circulatory failure. According to WHO estimates, 20 million cases of dengue infection are reported annually, resulting in 24,000 deaths.
What is challenging to doctors is that the vaccine development for dengue is difficult since any of four different types of dengue serotypes may cause the disease, and because protection against only one or two of these serotypes might actually increase risk of more serious disease. At present, the only method of controlling or preventing dengue and DHF is to combat the vector mosquito, which breeds in artificial containers as well as in natural habitats.