4 new dengue cases reported in Dehradun, count reaches 21

DEHRADUN: Four new dengue cases were reported in Dehradun on Monday, taking the total number of affected people in the state to 21. The health department has declared Raipur the most sensitive area for the disease.
Talking to TOI, Dr SK Gupta, chief medical officer, Dehradun district, confirmed that four new cases had been reported from various OPDs in the state on Monday.Three among the four patients were women, including a 13-year-old girl.
“While one of the patients is admitted in Coronation Hospital, the other three were sent home after treatment and medication. Among the four new cases, three are from Raipur locality while one is from Uttarkashi,” said the CMO. The CMO added that the health department is on alert and was conducting a door-to-door survey in different parts of the district to prevent spread of the disease.
“Viral infection spread by the mosquito ‘Aedes Aezypti’, commonly known as Tiger Mosquito is known as Dengue. Persistent high fever, headache, joint pain and rashes on the body are some symptoms of the disease, which leads to a drastic decrease in platelet count, that can be fatal. Guidelines to prevent the disease have been sent to schools, offices, malls and even to local residents,” said the CMO, adding that people had been advised to wear full-sleeve clothes.
Monsoon is the most conducive season for the rapid growth of mosquitos, which can lay about 1,200 eggs at a time, that subsequently get hatched in a week’s time. Generally, the survival rate of the larvae is 40 to 50%.
An infected mosquito can therafter procreate and infect a large number of people in a short span of time.