In Northern and Western India Dengue Cases on the Rise

As dengue cases came to the fore in several parts of western and northern India, hundreds of people have been admitted to hospitals.

People residing in Gorakhpur district of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state are living in fear with apprehensions of being affected by dengue, as the number of cases is increasing with each passing day.

About Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever
Encyclopedia section of medindia gives general information about Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

Dengue fever, which can cause intense pain in muscles and joints, is spread by the bite of the aedes aegypti mosquito. The insect thrives in the mega-cities of the tropics.

Senior medical specialist at Shri Gorakshaknath Hospital, Dr. Avdhesh Aggarwal, said the medical authorities are taking all possible measures to prevent the spread of fever.

"All the patients are residents of Gorakhpur and they have not come from outside. Ignoring this will not solve the issue. We have to tackle it and now steps have been taken and awareness operations have been started. Fumigation is also taking place," said Aggarwal.

Dengue and Dengue Fever - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Dengue is a tropical disease caused by mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, joint & muscle ache, fatigue, nausea and skin rash.

As part of the awareness drive against dengue, the local police in Mumbai city of India's western state of Maharashtra underwent medical tests.

Additional commissioner of Police, Vijay Chavan said that everyday around 20 to 22 police personnel have been admitted to the hospital due to high fever.

About Mosquito Diseases
Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, filaria, dengue, etc are common in places conducive of mosquito breeding. Swamps, ponds and stagnated drainage provide optimal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

"We had written to the municipal authorities to use fogging machines and I have also written to the police doctor. My police team is on the workout. On an average 31,00 recruits and 16000 police personnel are involved. We have fixed mosquito nets and installed water purifiers. We are taking all possible precautions. Then also on an average 20 to 22 people are getting admitted to the hospital due to high fever," said Chavan.

The number of dengue cases is also on the rise in Gurgaon of India's northern Haryana state.

Chikungunya - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment. FAQs
Chikungunya is a viral disease spread by mosquito bites; it causes fever, severe joint pain and rash on the body. Chikungunya occurs in Africa, Asia and the Indian sub continent.

Chief medical officer, Parveen Garg confirmed the death of one and added that 222 people have tested positive.

"Around 222 people have tested positive after the test and death of one person has been confirmed. Overall we have taken safety measures and we have installed breeder checkers and we are closely monitoring the breeders point," said Garg.

In the past 50 years there has been a 30-fold jump in dengue cases. The World Health Organisation officially puts infections at 50-100 million a year, though many experts think this assessment from the 1990s badly underestimates the disease.

Most patients survive dengue, but it is estimated to kill about 20,000 every year, many of them children, who are not able to fight against it.

Source-ANI