Government Issues Dengue Alert In Odisha

The Odisha Government has notified the Managing Director of Industrial Development Corporation Organization (IDCO), all district Collectors and industrial houses to remain alert in the wake of rising dengue positive cases in the State, to intensify measures to prevent the spread of viral infection. Dengue is a vector borne (mosquito- Aedes aegypti) viral infection that has no treatment or vaccination. Hence measures should be taken to curb the outbreak of the disease. This can be achieved by preventing the breeding of the mosquito. It prefers to breed in stagnant water easily found in our homes.

The deadly virus has assumed alarming proportions in the State with 1,109 positive cases and two deaths in a month, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu S Nayak. "Two persons have so far died of dengue," Nayak said adding that of the 4,955 blood samples tested, 1,109 have turned out to be positive for dengue. While 366 persons have been admitted at different hospitals, 200 patients have been discharged after treatment, the minister said.

The worst affected district, Keonjhar, reported  785  positive cases while Cuttack witnessed a total  of 213 cases, said National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) joint director Dr Madan Mohan Pradhan.

Since the mineral belt of Barbil in Keonjhar district and industrial areas of Jagatpur in Cuttack district have recorded more cases with 735 and 107 cases respectively, Principal Secretary in Health Department Arti Ahuja has asked the industries and mining establishments to identify areas in their localities where water is stagnant and mobilize additional manpower to drain out water on a war footing. In areas where water can't be drained out, the industrial units have been asked to apply larvicide and keep repeating the cleaning after each rainfall besides sensitising workers on wearing full sleeve clothes.

Claiming that unclean and unhygienic surroundings of industrial estates were responsible for the spread of Dengue in the city, Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has issued notices to at least four industrial units of these two estates asking them to show cause as to why their units would not be ordered to shut down for creating public nuisance.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram, requested for a team of doctors to be sent to the State to assist in managing the situation. Responding to the request, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda spoke to Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu S Nayak and discussed the dengue situation. He assured the State Health Minister of full cooperation and Central support to fight the deadly disease.

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Nadda said the Health Ministry is ready to extend all assistance in terms of preventive and curative measures and send a team of doctors to strengthen its efforts towards management of dengue. The disease has not spread to other districts like Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Balasore, Khurdha and Puri, he said.  Nayak said officials of both the health and urban development departments were working to keep the areas clean to prevent spread of the disease.  

Source-Medindia