GURGAON: Though there has been a dip of 78% in
dengue
cases this season as compared to last year, doctors say there is little solace in the fact given a large number of suspected
chikungunya cases being reported in the city this time.
According to the district administration, 160 cases of dengue were reported by the end of August last year, while only 37 cases have been witnessed this season. On the other hand, more than 500 suspected cases of chikungunya been reported in private hospitals in Gurgaon this season.
However, deputy commissioner TL Satyaprakash, who is also the MCG chief, urged people to be vigilant to prevent the outbreak of dengue. “Usually dengue is at its peak in the middle of October and if we take action at community level now to control the breeding of larva in our houses, we can control it here only. Otherwise, it is bound to spread in the aftermath of the rains,” he said on Friday.
Though the district authorities gave credit to their strict anti-dengue measures, including fogging, to control the outbreak of the deadly disease this year, doctors of private hospitals urged them to make immediate arrangements to deal with chikungunya this season.
“We are witnessing more patients of chikungunya than dengue this year. I don’t think that anti-dengue measures taken by the district health authority are adequate as the vector for dengue and chikungunya are the same. The rising number of chikungunya cases indicate that dengue might come up in a big way this time. So, there is an urgent need to keep track of chikungunya patients,” said a doctor from a private hospital.
A doctor at Civil Hospital agreed. “It is important to keep a track of chikungunya patients and take preventive measures in areas that have witnessed such cases.”
When contacted, Gurgaon’s chief medical officer Dr Ramesh Dhankar said, “About 80 suspected cases of chikungunya have been found in the district till now. Tests for chikungunya will be conducted in Civil Hospital from Saturday.”
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