Early indications suggest a possible increase in dengue () cases during the monsoon season in West Bengal, with over 2,000 affected people reported in the first week of July. Health department sources said the number of affected people till July 4 has already reached 2,095, adding that the numbers could be more as not all cases have been reported, with Malda and Murshidabad districts leading the tally. The number of cases in Durgapur, the industrial township in West Burdwan district, is also substantially high.
Dengue cases on the rise in West Bengal
The sources added that the Health Department officials are in constant touch with the different civic authorities to ensure that the situation does not spiral out of control.
The dengue menace took an alarming form in 2023, with the state reporting over 76,000 cases till November last year, around 10,000 more than the 2022 figures.
As the monsoon is yet to reach the state in its full extent, the medical fraternity is not ruling out the possibility of Bengal reporting a large number of dengue cases this year as well.
The medical fraternity is also stressing that the Health Department should report all dengue cases to the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC). Last year, West Bengal was the only state that did not share any data on this count with the central monitoring agency.
Reference:
- Dengue and severe dengue – (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue)
Source-IANS
