Gautam Budh Nagar: 70% dengue cases in 18 clusters

With seven new cases recorded in Gautam Budh Nagar on Tuesday, the dengue tally has reached 363 in the district

With seven new cases recorded in Gautam Budh Nagar on Tuesday, the dengue tally has reached 363 in the district. Officials said that the district health department has identified 10 clusters in Noida and eight in Greater Noida which have reported maximum number of dengue cases this season.

A patient is recovering in the dengue ward at the district hospital in Noida’s Sector 30 on Wednesday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT)

The officials also said that they are conducting the fogging exercise and making inspections in areas with such cases.

“We reported seven dengue cases on Tuesday. Of the total 363 cases in the district, 39 are active. These patients are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the district,” said Rajesh Sharma, district malaria officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.

The officials said that the daily dengue tally is compiled a day late in the district, hence Wednesday’s count will only be known on Thursday. A 14-year-old boy died due to dengue at a private hospital on October 21, they said.

This year’s dengue count is the highest in the past 10 years. According to official data, the district saw 14 cases in 2012, 69 in 2013, 0 in 2014, 176 in 2015, 17 in 2016, 13 in 2017, 28 in 2018, 40 in 2019 and 28 in 2020.

According to the officials, the clusters identified by the health department include Sadarpur, Chhalera, Mamura, Nithari, Barola, Chhajarsi, Sector 5, Sector 9, Sector 22 and Sector 51 in Noida, and Sector Alpha 2, Sector Beta 1, Sector Gamma 1, Gaur City, Haibatpur, Kulesra and Surajpur village in Greater Noida.

“Nearly 60% dengue cases have been reported from these areas. A cluster is the area from where five or more cases have been reported,” Sharma said.

Residents have expressed concerns over the increasing number of dengue cases.

Sanjeev Kumar, general secretary of Sector 51 RWA, said, “There is an old water body -- developed for boating – in the sector where the water is stagnant for some months. We feel that it has turned into a hot spot for mosquito breeding, leading to high number of dengue cases. Although the RWA conducted fogging and anti-larval spray in the sector, we demand the health officials to dry up the water body and close the facility.”

KK Jain, general secretary of Federation of Noida RWAs, said that the health department should conduct intense fogging and anti-larval spray in the affected areas. “We have also advised resident welfare associations in different sectors to observe precautions and maintain cleanliness,” he said.

Dr DK Gupta, chairman of Felix Hospital, Noida Sector 137, said that prevention is better than cure. “People should wear full sleeve clothes and use mosquito repellent. Fogging is also very important. People should meet a doctor if they suffer symptoms like fever, headache and joint pain,” he said.