Rising dengue cases shake govt out of slumber

KOLKATA: With the health department accepting that the occurrence of dengue cases have risen are rising in the city, the state is now collaborating with National Institute of Virology to identify the type of dengue virus in circulation in Kolkata and its suburbs.
As more dengue cases are being reported at private hospitals as compared to and less cases at city-based state-run medical colleges, virologists presume that affluent people are more at the receiving end this year.They feel that external symptoms like stomach ache or those related with pneumonia are also confusing doctors.
"The dengue virus in circulation this year has been successfully isolated at Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (CSTM) and the cell culture is being prepared. The cell culture will be sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) for identification of the type of dengue," said a senior health department official.
"Identified dengue virus consists of type-1, 2, 3 and 4. Earlier type-3 was more prevalent in city. If the type circulating this year is different, then chances of haemorrhagic fever is more. We are also in touch with National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease (NICED) to identify the sub-type of dengue," added the official.
Virologists at CSTM have noted that doctors have noted the number of dengue cases turning up at state-run hospitals are lesser in number compared to the turn out at private hospitals. Along with this the chance in external symptoms of dengue are also confusing doctors with many patients reporting stomach pain or pneumonia.
"Dengue has always been known as a city-centric disease and now it appears to be affecting the affluent more. This year the incidence if chikungunya is also less than last year and there is reason for this," revealed a senior doctor at CSTM.
"The Aedes Aegypti mosquito as vector is apparently capable of carrying one particular type of virus. Once the influx of dengue virus increased, the chikungunya virus couldn't find a place," added the senior doctor of CSTM.
"The dengue virus appears to be reducing immunity of affected person to such an extent that cross infection appears to be leading to gastro intestinal infection or respiratory infection. The symptoms are changing," further added CSTM doctor.
Meanwhile NICED officials informed that they are yet to receive any samples in the specified method for identification of the sub-type of the dengue virus in circulation this year.
"On Friday there will be a meeting at the health secretariat and a decision will be taken as to when they will send the sample to NICED," said Sekhar Chakraborti, director of NICED.