Over 11,700 dengue cases reported in Tamil Nadu this year

CHENNAI: A total of 11,743 cases of dengue have been reported in Tamil Nadu so far this year, which is the highest in the last seven years.

Four deaths have been reported in the State this year so far. As many as 205 people were reported to be infected in the last 24 hours.

The highest number of dengue cases was reported in 2017 (23,294 cases and 65 deaths), as per the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Prog.

Last year, 9,121 dengue cases and 13 deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu. The cases usually see peak after the northeast monsoon begins but the spike in the cases before the rains is concerning. Health Minister Ma Subramanian explained that dengue cases were in control and that the fatalities were low this year, even when it was surging in several countries across the world.

“However, it’s important to keep a check on the dengue-related fatality rate and late referrals lead to an increased mortality due to dengue,” he pointed out. “The deaths this year are mostly among individuals who did not get tested and seek timely medical help. Late referrals are a major concern, and people should not self-medicate. Pregnant women and children are more vulnerable as they have low immunity and should consult a doctor immediately with the onset of symptoms.”

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine is focusing on source-reduction to prevent an outbreak. “This will ensure that mosquito breeding is either stopped or minimised followed by critical surveillance which will pick up on fever cases early. We’ll be able to identify the index case so that control measures are taken and an outbreak is prevented,” elaborated Dr TS Selvavinayagam, director-DPH.

Public health experts have indicated that there could be a surge in October-December (monsoon seasons). As the cases rise due to water stagnation, preventive measures are significant or major outbreaks could be reported. “Hospitals also need to be prepared to handle the surge and prevent dengue-related mortality,” he added. “At the hospital level, daily fever surveillance and updates in the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal with demographic details are being sought so that the areas that are at risk and age groups that are more affected can be identified. Besides monitoring, the hospitals are also keeping stocks sufficiently for diagnosis and treatment with SOPs on each aspect.”