Six dengue cases in winter keep Ghaziabad officials on their toes

Six new dengue cases were reported in Ghaziabad between December 1 and December 15, taking the total toll in the city to 596

Six new dengue cases were reported in Ghaziabad between December 1 and December 15, taking the total toll in the city to 596.

The number of positive dengue cases in the city has reached 596. A total of 4,000 samples were screened this year. (HT File Photo)

“The number of positive dengue cases in the city has reached 596. A total of 4,000 samples have been screened this year so far. Ten positive cases have been reported in December alone. Six of these cases are from Ghaziabad while the other four from nearby districts,” said GR Mishra, district malaria officer of Ghaziabad.

The district health department has also received samples of four suspected dengue cases from a private hospital in Nehru Nagar in the past one week.

Though the temperatures have dropped considerably in Ghaziabad, the district health department is continuing with its anti-dengue campaign and fogging drives as mosquito presence is still high in the city.

Last week, the district health department had received complaints about an increase in the number of mosquitoes at the Dasna Jail. The department has now decided to carry out a fresh anti-dengue campaign at the jail.

“On Wednesday evening, fogging was carried out at the jail to kill mosquitoes. A drive was carried out on Monday also when 20 workers of the department had sprayed anti-larvae medicines on the jail premises,” said GR Mishra.

A similar campaign is being carried out at MMG District Hospital since Monday after patients complained of an increase in the number of mosquitoes at the hospital.

Mishra said it was unusual to have high mosquito presence at this time of the year because they cannot survive in below-20 degree Celsius temperatures.

“It has been noticed that the number of mosquitoes was lesser during the dengue season. It is unusual to see such large number of mosquitoes at this time of the year.

However, there is no need to worry as number of aedes aegypti mosquitoes will decline with the fall in temperature,” he said.

Doctors in the city, meanwhile, advised people to be cautious.

“It is because of the delay in the arrival of winter that cases of dengue are still being reported in the city. It is mid-December and mosquitoes can still be seen in our houses. People should continue to take precautions and keep their areas free of stagnant water,” said Dr Deepak Verma from the Internal medicine department at Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad.