Wanaparthy district officials who were on alert to contain coronavirus, are busy with containing the spread of Dengue Virus (DENV) too after 38 cases of dengue were detected in Amarchinta town in past one week. Health officials said that they took up fogging, spraying, to reduce the number of mosquitoes.
Dengue is caused by four serotypes of DENV which are transmitted by female mosquitoes of Aedes Aegypti species.
When a 14-year-old boy developed fever, a battery of diagnosis tests were performed to know the cause. As fever did not subside, they collected samples which tested positive for DENV.
“Fever survey was taken up by accredited social health activists (ASHA), auxilliary nurse midwives (ANM) in 900 houses to find if anybody developed fever. When 13 cases of fever were identified, their samples were sent for tests and six of them tested positive for Dengue,” said Wanaparthy District Medical and Health Officer A. Srinivasulu.
Over the days, as the survey was intensified, more cases were confirmed. Dr Srinivasulu said that condition of none of the patients is serious. The 38 patients are undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Wanaparthy.
As the mosquitoes breed in fresh water, Health department staff checked if water was stagnating in any containers filled with fresh water. People were suggested not to allow stagnation of water. Dr Srinivasulu said that fogging, pyrethrum spray, is used to control mosquito numbers.
