Dengue cases dip, but deaths continue in Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even though, the panic over dengue fever seems to have subsided, the cases of fever deaths continued in the district.      Around 10 people succumbed to the fever in the capital over the past two weeks until Sunday, of which nine were dengue deaths. At least one dengue death used to be reported every day during the peak dengue season in June. Around 6,460 suspected cases of dengue and 2,098 confirmed cases of dengue were reported in the past two weeks. 

Most of the deaths have happened in areas like Pallichal and Kottukal. The last victim to succumb was Santhosh Kumar, 37, of Kottukal near Vizhinjam who passed away on Sunday. As per officials, the numbers could shoot up slightly with few spells of rains. “The epidemic had shown signs of weakening, but it is not yet time for us to stop being vigilant. As per past experience, dengue cases can shoot up any time until monsoon ends,” said a medical officer attached to a coastal Public Health Centre.

Health minister K.K. Shailaja told media that the sanitary works in civic bodies should remain consistent throughout the year, rather than being confined to monsoon. She added that there were plans to hire more health workers to ensure round the year cleanliness. Most of the dengue cases were being reported from areas like Balaramapuram, Pallichal, Beemapally and Vizhinjam.