Dengue cases at all-time high since 2017 in Ghaziabad, officials resort to containment approach

Officials said rapid response teams, response team from integrated disease surveillance program, a team led by a local medical officer and sanitisation teams act within hours of a dengue case being reported from a particular area

With dengue cases catapulting to 89 on Tuesday---highest since 2017 when Ghaziabad district reported 232 cases, officials in the health department have adopted a containment approach to ensure the areas from where dengue cases are being reported don’t turn into clusters of cases and curb the outbreak of the disease.

A Dengue Ward has been set up at the Combined District Hospital in Sanjay Nagar, Ghaziabad. Of the 550 symptomatic patients tested so far, there are 16 patients who have tested positive for dengue. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

“Since dengue cases are on the rise, we have adopted a containment approach. We do not have dengue cases in clusters; they are scattered across the district. Our teams are conducting fogging in about 50 nearby houses whenever a dengue case is being reported from a particular area,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta, district surveillance officer.

He added that in case more cases are reported from a particular area, teams take up infection control activities for about 500 nearby houses or to the extent where they feel proper sanitisation has been done.

Officials said rapid response teams, response team from integrated disease surveillance program, a team led by a local medical officer and sanitisation teams act within hours of a dengue case being reported from a particular area.

“With the containment approach, we are ensuring that there are no cluster of cases. Our teams are taking efforts to break the chain of infection. Moreover, we have also initiated sampling of symptomatic patients at our IDSP laboratory in MMG District Hospital. Of the 550 symptomatic patients tested so far, there are 16 patients who have tested positive for dengue. The positivity rate is on the lower side, at about 3%,” said Gupta.

The district also reported 11 malaria cases till Tuesday against 13 such cases in 2020, 142 in 2019, 150 in 2018, 293 in 2017 and 128 in 2016.

Experts said utmost precaution is the need of the hour as dengue can also lead to fatalities.

“Heavy rainfall, and the resultant waterlogging that has been plaguing the district in the last one month , has led to an increase in dengue cases. Residents must ensure water doesn’t accumulate in their houses or in the premises where larvae can breed,” said Dr Ashish Agarwal, president of Indian Medical Association (Ghaziabad chapter).

The health department has also come up with dengue wards in the district hospitals to treat patients.

“The cases of dengue and viral fever are on rise. We receive around 100-150 patients suffering from fever daily in our outpatient department. We have reserved 20 beds in the dengue ward and so far, only one patient has been admitted and also recovered,” said Dr Sanjay Teotia, chief medical superintendent of Sanjay Nagar Combined District Hospital.