Has the BBMP, lethargic and caught in the official quagmire as it is, failed to protect the people of Bengaluru even as dengue reaches epidemic proportions? Though the city has reported 1,389 confirmed cases of the viral fever since January, the city administrators have not taken up fogging and other preventive measures seriously. The laxity could prove costly as doctors warn that prevention is the only cure for the deadly disease.
The dreaded dengue has caught Bengaluru in its grips, and the numbers are alarming. Since January, 1,389 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported from private hospitals from different parts of the city, the BBMP records state.
Recently, Deccan Chronicle also reported the death of 14-year-old Padma from Magadi taluk in Ramanagara, who had been afflicted with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), triggered by dengue. Only last month, with the city already recording over 400 dengue cases, the BBMP had scaled up its prevention and surveillance activities.
But obviously, the Palike has not covered all areas in the city under its prevention activities. Surabhi from HSR Layout says, “We have not seen any fogging or larvae surveillance activities in our colony.” She got areas in and around her house fogged, shelling out Rs 2,500 from her pocket. “I recovered from dengue only recently and I cannot take the risk of falling ill again and leaving the health of me and my family at the hands of BBMP,” she says.
Dr Pavan Mangalore, an internal medicine consultant at a private hospital, agrees that the dengue numbers are going up. “Every day, we admit around seven to eight patients, of them at least one is critical. Along with the numbers, the critical nature of the disease too has gone up,” he says. Undoubtedly, the mosquito, Aedes aegypti – a day biter and fresh water breeder, which infects the people, has been creating havoc across the city.
Dr B.G. Prakash Kumar of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program, Health and Family Welfare Services, agrees that there has been an increase in the numbers as compared to last year. “There is a slight increase in the numbers, but we are predicting the numbers to go down in the coming month," he said, adding that the government is taking proper measures and spreading awareness about dengue control. "We are also making efforts to sanitise abandoned stone quarries by filling them with construction debris. We are also involving village heads to control the spread of the fever at their level," he said.
On the cost of treatment hitting the roof and the plight of the common man, Dr Chikkanarasappa Reddy, Assistant Professor of Paediatrics, Bowring Hospital, says, “Sadly, the dengue mosquito does not differentiate between the rich and the poor. Of course, the disease burden is high for both the rich and poor. But among the economically weaker sections as the awareness and education is low on prevention, we see such a large number of dengue positive cases.”
Dr S.M. Prasad, professor of paediatrics, Ambedkar Medical College, and president of Bangalore Adolescent Health Academy, advises awareness among the public to bring down the numbers. “Individuals, families and communities should be involved in local vector-control activities. The government cannot employ enough people to search every backyard to identify and destroy mosquito breeding sites. But what it can do it take up proper surveillance, timely fogging and awareness activities and it goes a long way in bringing down the numbers,” he says.
Symptoms
Severe abdominal pain or persistent vomiting, red spots or patches on the skin, bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood or blood in stools, drowsiness or irritability, pale, cold or clammy skin or difficulty breathing.
Diagnosis
Clinical diagnosis is made by the health care professional based on a constellation of signs, symptoms· and clinical laboratory findings (e.g., CBC, platelet count).
Laboratory diagnosis is specific for dengue and is made through testing of a blood sample.
Prevention can be at 2 levels
Personal level: Do not wear half sleeves and shorts during monsoon. Use mosquito repellant creams or nets at home. Ensure there is no source of mosquito breeding in and around your home or workplace.
Community level: Don't let water stagnate in containers, coolers, tyres and broken pots etc. Half broken tender coconut randomly discarded is found to be a very good breeding site.
What to do when one has high fever in this season
Normally, the monsoon season brings with it several kinds of viral infections and fevers. Most of them are largely harmless and abate after a week or so. However, the fever might well indicate dengue in some cases and it is important to be always on the guard against it. So, in case a fever continues for more than three days with rashes on the body with intense headache, make sure to consult a doctor.
CDC guidelines for prevention
- The most effective way to prevent dengue is to prevent mosquito bites and control mosquito populations.
- Just a few infected mosquitoes can cause large outbreaks of disease in the community. Effective mosquito control requires community support.
- Insect Repellents: use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-methane diol. Always follow label instructions.
- Mosquito proof your home, inside and out: Install or fix screens on windows and doors; do not prop open doors, allowing mosquitoes to fly in. If you have air-conditioning, use it.
- Drain and dump standing water found in containers inside and around the house: pet dishes, flower pots, vases, buckets, tires, cans.
- If containers cannot be drained or dumped out, cover them so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs.
- Weekly, wash out containers with a brush or sponge to remove mosquito eggs.
- The Symptoms of Diagnosis are similar to many other viral diseases, so is not specific. The environmental management of Mosquitos, water-logging, and proofing house for mosquitos will prevent Dengue fever.
Surveillance has brought down H1N1 cases: Health Dept
Some 15 H1N1 deaths and 2,341 swine flu cases have been reported already across the state. Two deaths have occurred within BBMP limits. The Health Department agreed that the surveillance team should have collected the blood samples much earlier and the treatment could have been started on time. The full analysis of H1N1 deaths also revealed that the age group was mainly between 20 and 55 years with many of them having comorbid conditions like uncontrolled diabetes and chronic asthma. "Our surveillance and health education teams have been directed to spread awareness on H1N1 with the target population having diseases with comorbid conditions to prevent deaths," says Dr Shalini Rajneesh, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare.
“Junior health assistants were instructed to strictly follow up all these suspected and positive cases to prevent further deaths. The action taken by them was monitored on a day-to-day basis which resulted in controlling the cases. Also, no deaths were reported since April and the numbers have come down drastically,” informs Dr Mohammed Sharif, Research Officer, National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme.
The city has recorded some 827 H1N1 cases since January with BBMP limits again taking attention to the need for awareness, education and surveillance measures.
“The virus spreads from human to human. It typically spreads when an infected person sneezes in the open and scatters the virus in the air. It also spreads when we touch or shake hands with infected people or touch objects like doorknobs, tables, chairs in public places that may have been infected,” says Dr Rini Banerjee, Consultant, Infectious Disease, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur who advises that people who work in extremely crowded places and come in contact with an overcrowded environment on a regular basis are at extreme risk. "So are the people who use public transport daily. Children, pregnant women, elderly population, people with diabetes and chronic obstructive lung diseases are more susceptible to severe conditions of H1N1 and should get themselves tested at the earliest,” she adds.
