Health dept alerts civic bodies on possible rise in dengue, malaria cases

Kolkata: The state Health department has alerted all civic bodies, warning that dengue and malaria cases may go up in the next five months.

According to Health department statistics, during the last year maximum infected cases were reported between August and December.

To ensure that the infected cases do not go up during this period this year, all the civic bodies have been asked to conduct surveillance drives in all the under-construction high-rise buildings and also in various households to ensure there is no accumulated water.

The civic bodies have also been directed to spread insecticides on a regular basis. Malaria mosquitoes’ larva normally thrives in water bodies which are bigger compared to those where dengue larva develops.

According to sources, dengue cases have gone up in July compared to the figure reported last year. Both private and state-run hospitals have been seeing a rise in dengue cases recently. Health experts in the city observed that in the last year 75 per cent of the patients suffering from various vector-borne diseases are asymptomatic.

Infections are more prevalent among asymptomatic patients. As per data, around 1,400 malaria cases were reported till July end last year while over 100 dengue cases were found during the same period. Over 80 per cent of total malaria infected cases were reported in Kolkata last year.

A Health department official said that more tests are being carried out this year compared to the figures last year. Various civic bodies have been asked to prepare a comprehensive roadmap to strengthen surveillance to check dengue and malaria this season. Anti-dengue campaigns have already been initiated in different districts.

The state health department may take legal action against private laboratories in various districts which are not sharing data related to dengue and malaria tests with the Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMOHs) on a daily basis.