Dengue death toll climbs to 37 in Mohali

A 40-year-old man from Kansal succumbed to dengue at a private hospital on Friday, taking Mohali district’s death toll to 37 this year

A 40-year-old man from Kansal succumbed to dengue at a private hospital on Friday, taking Mohali district’s death toll to 37 this year.

No dengue-related fatality was reported from Chandigarh and Panchkula on Friday.

While two people had died in September, 29 succumbed to the virus in October and six have died in November. This is the deadliest outbreak in years. The previous two years had recorded just one death each.

Meanwhile, no fatality was reported from Chandigarh and Panchkula on Friday. The health authorities also confirmed 98 fresh cases in the tricity, with Mohali reporting 57, followed by 25 in Chandigarh and 16 in Panchkula.

Chandigarh has so far recorded 1,182 dengue cases, of which 293 surfaced in November. It has recorded just three deaths this year. Mohali’s dengue count has now gone up to 3,558 while Panchkula’s case tally stands at 784 with one death this year.

Health dept issues advisory for Zika virus disease

The Chandigarh health department on Friday issued an advisory on Zika virus, after cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh.

The virus is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected species of aedes mosquito, the same mosquito that is responsible for causing dengue and chikungunya. Other routes for transmission are maternal-foetal, sexual transmission from an infected person to his or her partners and blood transfusion.

Doctors requested people to cover all water tanks and containers with tight lids, to dispose of and destroy all unused containers, junk material and tyres, and to empty, scrub and dry desert coolers. The doctors also advised people to use bed nets at home and hospitals during dengue/zika virus fever to prevent mosquito bite.