Dengue, malaria cases may go up in 5 months, civic bodies put on alert

KOLKATA: State Health department has alerted all the civic bodies saying that dengue and malaria cases may go up in the next five months.

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

To ensure that the infected cases do not go up during this period, all the civic bodies have been asked to conduct surveillance drives in all the under construction high rise buildings and also to 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 thrive in water bodies which are bigger compared to those where dengue larva develops.

Health experts in the city observed that 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.

This year, over 1,500 malaria cases have been detected till July end while 150 dengue cases were also found.

A Health department official said that more tests are being carried out this year compared to the figures last year. State health department may take legal action against the private laboratories in various districts which are not sharing data related to dengue malaria tests with the chief medical officer of health (CMoHs) on a daily basis. Some labs are not providing data related to vector borne diseases infected figures on a regular basis flouting the earlier guideline issued by the health department. The CMoHs in the districts have been asked to alert the laboratories which are not furnishing data on a daily basis. If they continue to do so, action may be taken against them as per the provision of law,