24 Dengue cases reported in Jammu region

Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 8: A total of 24 Dengue cases have been reported so far this year in Jammu region.
According to official sources as on September 7, a total of 227 patients were tested for Dengue out of which 24 cases were found to be positive and reports of 182 was negative while result of 21 samples are still awaited. “No death has been reported due to Dengue so far”, they added.
Elaborating more, sources said that out of 24 Dengue cases, 17 have been reported in Jammu district, two in Samba and one each in Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Doda districts. They further revealed that out of these 24 Dengue patients, 20 were adults (14 males and 6 females) and 4 children (2 males and 2 females).
They said that so far Dengue has not claimed any life in Jammu region and most of the patients affected with the disease have returned to their home after successful treatment in various hospitals.
When contacted, Director, Health Services, Jammu, Dr Gurjeet Singh, confirmed that 24 Dengue cases have been reported in Jammu region. “Health Department has so far tested 227 samples from different parts of the Jammu region out of which 24 have tested positive”, he said, adding, numbers are not alarming.
“As compared to the situation in 2013 and the number of positive cases being diagnosed in Punjab and New Delhi, I cannot call it an alarming situation. People should not get panic. It is expected during monsoon season due to water logging at many places. We are on the job and the situation is under control,” said Director, Health Services, Jammu.
“We are taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of dengue in Jammu,” he said, adding that measures were being taken at personal, household, community and departmental level to fight the disease.
Dr Singh said the main cause of Dengue was stagnant water and the department was spreading awareness among the masses to prevent stagnation of water. The department has also sensitized its staff and Asha workers to combat the disease.
He said the Health Department teams in collaboration with Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) have completed two rounds of fumigation in the city two months back and the second round is under process.
“In first two rounds, the fogging was done in all 72 or 73 wards of Jammu city. The process of fogging will continue till the risk of Dengue prevails in the city,” said Dr Singh.
The Health Department has also released anti-larva fishes in about 350 still water bodies, like ponds, in urban as well as rural areas to prevent the spread of mosquitoes and the result is positive, as this year only 2 cases have been reported from Samba and one from Kathua district.
He said to further prevent this vector-borne disease, the teams of Health Department are being used to fog about 40-50 houses and surrounding areas near the house of Dengue affected person to check the spread of the disease.
Dr Singh advised the people not to allow water stagnation in empty pots, water coolers, earthen pots, as larva of Dengue mosquitoes started breeding in stagnated fresh water in 1week to 10 days.

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