59 kids among 86 dengue patients in Gautam Budh Nagar

Last week, officials identified two dengue hotspots -- localities in Barola and Chalera villages of Noida -- in the district

In Gautam Budh Nagar, children below 18 years comprise more than 60% of the total dengue cases, according to the latest data, officials said on Tuesday.

The 59 infected children -- none critical -- have recovered following treatment. Out of the remaining 27 cases among adults, seven are still undergoing treatment. (HT Archive)

Amid an increase in the infection, Gautam Budh Nagar reported 86 dengue cases till Tuesday (October 5), out of which, 59 are children -- all from Postgraduate Institute of Child Health in Noida -- between the age of five and 18 years.

“The 59 infected children -- none critical -- have recovered following treatment. Out of the remaining 27 cases among adults, seven are still undergoing treatment,” said Rajesh Sharma, district malaria officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.

Last week, officials identified two dengue hotspots in the district. “Localities in Barola and Chalera villages of Noida were identified as hotspots after 10 dengue cases were reported from there. Health teams have taken containment measures, and are making door-to-door visits to inspect larvae breeding sites and clear those at the earliest,” Sharma said.

In the past one week, the district health department has also issued notices to 32 private premises with mosquito breeding sites, he added.

“At present, there are five rapid response teams in the district -- one at the district level, and four at the block level -- which have been tasked to ensure that no mosquito breeding takes place. Since dengue mosquitoes usually bite during the day, all the office authorities in the district have been asked to stay vigilant and avoid collecting water in containers where these mosquitoes are likely to breed,” Sharma said, adding that the department is conducting fogging and anti-larvae medicine spraying drives in the district.

“The health teams are screening densely populated localities to eliminate chances of mosquito breeding. Dengue is an urbanised disease, and these mosquitoes breed indoors -- in artificial or man-made containers. So, the teams are focusing on such areas. The teams are also going door-to-door to check on people suffering from fever, and are also taking their samples for dengue and malaria testing,” added Sharma.

Meanwhile, there are no fresh cases of scrub typhus or leptospirosis in the district. The total tally of scrub typhus in Gautam Budh Nagar is four, after a private hospital in Noida had reported one fresh case last week. Two leptospirosis cases were also reported. “All three patients of scrub typhus (1) and leptospirosis (2), reported from private hospitals in the district, have recovered,” said Sharma.