Season’s 1st dengue death recorded from Jafrabad

The city has reported this season’s first dengue death, with an 18-year-old succumbing to the mosquito-borne disease last week, said official reports on Tuesday. Farheen, resident of Jafrabad in North-east Delhi, breathed her last at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital on July 21 where she was undergoing treatment since a day before her death.

The girl was earlier admitted to Jag Pravesh Chandra hospital first with complains of high fever and vomiting. Her tests returned positive for dengue and because her condition was serious, she was shifted to Lok Nayak. The hospital report says, Farheen died of severe form of dengue — dengue shock syndrome. In the past one week alone, the city reported 40 dengue cases, which is 80 per cent of the total cases reported till July 18 this year.

The Delhi government has, however, made adequate arrangements to deal with the rising dengue cases, which is expected to rise more in the coming months. All the hospitals have been directed to assign beds for dengue patients, keep testing kits and platelets in stock so there are no shortages. Delhi Health minister Satyendar Jain also said around 250-300 fever clinic corners would be set up in the hospitals, dispensaries and mohalla clinics by September.

Also, the Union Health Ministry last month had decided that dengue patients hailing from towns in the National Capital Region seeking treatment in Delhi hospitals will be registered separately this year so that they are not clubbed with local patients. In 1996, a severe outbreak of dengue had occurred in Delhi wherein about 10,252 cases and 423 deaths were reported. In 2010, besides over 6,200 cases, only eight deaths were officially reported. Last year, the city saw a staggering 15,867 dengue cases, the worst in 20 years with the disease claiming 60 lives, as per Municipal reports. This year, dengue cases have been reported rather early. Last year only six cases were reported in June, while July had registered 36.

Sadar Paharganj and Karol Bagh Zones under North Delhi Municipal Corporation reported a case each, while Najafgarh Zone of South Delhi Municipal Corporation has recorded five cases. Two each were recorded in West and Central Zones and one in South Zone, said a senior official of SDMC, which compiles the dengue report on behalf of all the civic bodies in the city.

SDMC has reported 10 cases overall while East Delhi Municipal Corporation has recorded two. Of the total number of cases this year, 24 were reported from areas outside the jurisdiction of the three Municipal Corporations. While 11 cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh, three of those diagnosed with the disease came from Haryana, and 38 of them came from other states.

The number of houses where breeding of mosquitoes were found are 13,139 (North MCD), 30,044 (SDMC) and 4,705 (EDMC). And, number of prosecutions launched respectively in these areas were 507, 1526 and 167 respectively, the report said. As part of its preventive measure against the disease, North MCD had last month launched a drive and sought to popularise the use of a specially made coolers and the plant Agave Americana.