First dengue death confirmed in Ghaziabad

The Ghaziabad district health department on Wednesday confirmed the city’s first death due to dengue this season. The number of confirmed cases of dengue in the city is now 226 and chikungunya is 454.

The Ghaziabad district health department on Wednesday confirmed the city’s first death due to dengue this season. The number of confirmed cases of dengue in the city is now 226 and chikungunya is 454.

A fogging drive in Ghaziabad on Wednesday to contain vector-borne diseases.(Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Health officials said Suyash Goel (21), who died on Wednesday, was a resident of New Gandhi Nagar. He was admitted to a private hospital in Nehru Nagar with fever, which was later confirmed as dengue.

“Suyash was repeatedly vomiting a day before being admitted to Yashoda Hospital and he was being treated as an OPD patient till then for viral fever. However, after admission, his condition deteriorated and he was shifted to the intensive care unit,” said Ravikant Goel, Suyash’s father who owns a garment shop in Turab Nagar.

According to hospital officials, Suyash tested positive for dengue and was being treated for the same.

“The patient went into comatose the day he was admitted. He did not recover and the cause of death was multiple organ failure. Though his platelet count did not go down to dangerous levels, the dengue virus sent the body into shock,” said Dr Sangeeta Garg, medical superintendent, Yashoda Hospital, Nehru Nagar.

Suyash was declared dead around 6 am on Sunday at the hospital. To confirm the cause of death as multiple organ failure due to dengue, his blood samples were sent to the district health department on Tuesday.

“We received a dengue positive report from the hospital on Tuesday after which the department confirmed it on Wednesday. This is the first death in the city due to the dengue virus. This year, approximately 1,500 samples of suspected dengue and 1,600 samples of suspected chikungunya virus have been screened by the department,” said Dr GK Mishra, district malaria officer, Ghaziabad.

“As many as five samples have tested positive for dengue as well as chikungunya. This means that the same person was bitten by two mosquitoes carrying different virus strains. This is very rare,” he said.

Private hospitals also reported similar cases.

“Until now, we have got four cases in which the patient has both dengue and chikungunya. The course of treatment is symptomatical and it is becomes hard on the patient as they struggle with joint pains as well as low platelet count,” said Dr Pankaj Choudhary, senior consultant physician at Max Hospital, Vaishali.

Yashoda Hospital in Kaushambi, Columbia Asia Hospital, Hapur Road also reported four similar cases.

Of the 62 samples screened for chikungunya on Wednesday, 27 were found positive. Of the 94 samples tested for dengue on Wednesday, 14 were found positive.

Two Ghaziabad residents have also died in Delhi hospitals due to suspected chikungunya in August.