Hyderabad: As the monsoon continues to wreak havoc, seasonal diseases like dengue show no signs of abating. According to data from the office of the director of public health, the state has recorded over 3,000 dengue cases between July 1 and August 18, with 1,354 cases reported in July alone. There have been no deaths, said Ravindra Nayak, the director of public health.
"The government has taken proactive measures, including initiating a fever survey on July 23, to contain the spread of seasonal diseases," stated the director's office.
“The survey has so far covered 1,13,89,060 houses and screened 3,48,65,479 individuals. From July 1 to August 18, approximately 3,237 dengue cases have been reported, with most of them occurring in GHMC jurisdiction due to its high population density,” it added.
In Rangareddy district, 124 dengue and three malaria cases were reported up to July, with 77 of them originating within GHMC limits.
Nationwide, there have been 32,091 dengue cases and 32 deaths by the end of June, according to the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control.
Meanwhile, a global public health intelligence report by WHO indicates that last year most acute public health events of an infectious nature were predominantly caused by dengue fever, followed by measles, cholera, influenza (from avian or animal influenza virus) and poliomyelitis. The report highlighted that dengue fever has been one of the most frequently reported diseases since 2019.
The state health department, in its advisory to combat vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, has urged citizens to secure doors and windows with mosquito nets, cover beds with insecticide-treated nets, dress children in light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing, and apply mosquito repellent. The department also emphasized the importance of maintaining drains, covering septic tanks and participating in community-level interventions such as observing "Friday dry day" to prevent water stagnation as a means to stop breeding of mosquitoes.
