Himachal in grip of dengue, 420 cases reported so far

Torrential rains have lead to dengue outbreak in Himachal Pradesh, with 420 positive cases reported so far and majority of them have been reported from Bilaspur district.

Out of 1,487 patients screened for dengue in different hospitals, 420 were found positive.

Around 237 cases of dengue were reported from Bilaspur, most of them from Dayar locality on the banks of Govind Sagar dam reservoir of the Bhakra Nangal Dam.Indian Council of Medical Research had sent a team of experts to analyse the situation in Dayar.

The team, camped in Bilaspur for over a week, stated that the water accumulations in drains is the main cause of dengue outbreak in Dayar. While the local administration also identified more than 10 spots which are said to be highly susceptible for multiplication of dengue-causing mosquitoes.

The state health department with local civic body, meanwhile, have been engaged in spreading awareness about the disease among the masses through radio announcements and door-todoor campaigns, said the state surveillance officer.

In last 24 hours, as many as 22 cases have been reported from across the state, including 13 cases from Solan, eight from Bilaspur and one from Mandi district. Health department officials said the situation is under control and residents have been advised to adopt adequate precautionary measures.

“We have advised the residents not to let water stagnate around their homes as mosquitoes are more likely to breed on stagnant pools,” official said.

“They have been further advised to keep the surroundings clean, regularly change water in coolers, clean empty flower pots and spray mosquito repellents,” official added.

167 FOUND POSITIVE OF SCRUB TYPHUS

Meanwhile, besides dengue the state has also been gripped by the scrub typhus infection.

So far, out of the 3,428 examined cases 167 people have tested positive for it, with one death from Chamba.

Bilaspur again with 58 cases is the worst affected from scrub typhus bacteria, followed by Shimla with 25, Solan with 22, Kangra with 20, Sirmaur with 12, Chamba with 10, Tanda with three, Mandi with two and Kullu with one case.

Twenty five cases from Shimla and 22 cases from Solan were reported.

Twenty cases were reported from Kangra followed by 12 from Sirmaur, 10 from Chamba, 3 from Tanda, two from Mandi and one from Kullu district.