243 dengue cases in Ludhiana, officials on toes

Tuesday, 15/10/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131015/punjab.htm#1

More than 500 dengue cases have been reported in the state so far with Ludhiana district registering 243 cases.

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has started ward-wise fogging in the city. Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal has also instructed the municipal authorities to undertake preventive measures to check the spread of the disease. The Health Department is conducting an awareness drive.

There are 13 block-level civil hospitals in the district. Mild dengue cases can be treated there. For serious patients, these hospitals are ill-equipped as these do not have blood transfusion facility, lack medical experts and proper infrastructure. Thus, patients with severe illness are referred to the Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital, Ludhiana.

Patiala: Relying only on Mac-Elisa test for dengue diagnosis, the Health Department and Government Medical College, Patiala, are not bothering about the rising number of cases tested positive for the disease through NS1 Elisa test.

Official figures state that 194 dengue cases have been reported so far based on Mac-Elisa test in the district. Of these, 49 patients were tested positive at Rajindra Hospital this month alone.

While the health authorities claim that no one died of dengue in the district so far, around four persons lost their lives after they were tested positive for dengue through NS1 test.

Aparajita Paul, a student of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, had died at Columbia Asian Hospital last month where she was admitted following high fever. The test done by the hospital confirmed that she had dengue. However, her Mac-Elisa test was conducted at Rajindra Hospital which turned out to be negative. Similarly, three others had also died of dengue which the health officials are yet to confirm.

A survey of private hospitals suggests that at least 50 suspected cases of dengue are being reported everyday.

Doctors at private hospitals and laboratories are of the view that anyone who is positive for NS1 Elisa is confirmed to be infected by dengue.

Dr Virinder Singh Mohi, Civil Surgeon, Patiala, and Dr VK Sharda, Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, say NS1 Elisa is an antigen test and it detects the presence of virus, which may not be dengue. It is only after the antibody test they can ascertain whether a patient has developed the disease, they added.

Both the Health Department and the Patiala Municipal Corporation have not reportedly undertaken preventive measures. Health officials are just visiting the houses of dengue patients and distributing medicines while the MC has not done fogging even in areas which reported high number of dengue cases.

Jalandhar: The district has reported 37 dengue cases with no loss of life so far this year. There are a large number of healthcare institutes in the city, but only 27 are in touch with the Civil Hospital. A majority of other hospitals and clinics hardly bother to inform the district health authorities about the suspected and confirm dengue patients treated by them.

Dr Satish Sood, Epidemiologist, said 37 dengue cases were confirmed out of 239 blood tests conducted on suspected patients by the district health authorities.

Out of the positive patients, 33 belong to Jalandhar district while two are from Kapurthala, one each from Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr, Dr Sood said, adding the precautionary measures taken by the department before setting in of rainy season helped in controlling the breeding of tiger mosquito.

The district had reported 600 dengue cases in 2010.

Amritsar: As many as 33 cases of dengue were reported in various hospitals this season so far. The actual number of cases could be more since certain private hospitals are not reporting to the Health Department about the number of such patients being handled by them.

Dr Yash Mitra, Civil Surgeon, said though instructions had been given to private hospitals and clinics to report the number of patients, a number of them were not complying. He said private hospitals had been relying on NS1 test instead of the mandatory Maclisa which was available at the Government Medical College here. He said the situation was not alarmingly in the city.

There were reports that a person had died of dengue at a private hospital last month. But, health officials claim that the 48-year-old was suffering from diabetes and other complications.

Sangrur: As many as 12 confirmed cases of dengue were reported from various parts of the district.

The patients belonged to Sangrur, Sunam, Ghanauri Khurd (Dhuri), Kup Kalan (near Ahmedgarh), Ahmedgarh, Dhuri, Malerkotla and Banbhaura (Dhuri). Dr Subodh Gupta, Civil Surgeon, said no death due to dengue had been reported from any part of the district so far. He said dengue wards had been set up in sub-division and civil hospitals, equipped with medicines. Besides, spray of medicines was also being done to check the breeding of dengue mosquitoes.

At the Sangrur Civil Hospital, a special ward in the emergency wing has been set up with four beds to treat dengue patients, but no such patient has been admitted so far.

Vijay Kumar Gupta: Executive Officer Sangrur Municipal Council, said the council had already started fogging in city areas for which a 15-day schedule had been prepared.

Muktsar: Unlike previous years, the situation is under control in Muktsar district with only six dengue cases reported so far.

Dr Gulshan Rai, Civil Surgeon, said four persons were found positive in Muktsar town, one each in Thandewala village and Malout town. "All of them were hospitalised and treated for the disease. No loss of life has been reported due to dengue this year," he said.

The district has already witnessed huge destruction due to water-logging. The stagnant rainwater had posed a challenge for the administration. Health officials said they had pressed into service fogging machines and conducted surveys and awareness drives.

In 2010 and 2011, a large number of dengue cases were reported in the district and had claimed several lives.

Faridkot: Demanding arrears of salaries, sweepers in the town are on strike for the last five days. Besides, the company engaged in collecting garbage from Kotkapura is not doing so since October 1 due to non-payment of its contract money.

Resultantly, heaps of garbage are lying on roadsides providing breeding ground for mosquitoes at a time when dengue is spreading its tentacles in the region.

While the Health Department has confirmed only six dengue cases in the district so far, most of the private clinics have six or more dengue patients each under their treatment. The prevalence of the disease is comparatively lower than the previous years, said Dr Vimal Garg of Faridkot.

Only in certain cases the disease turns life-threatening, said Dr Harjinder Singh, adding that with the recent rain and insanitary conditions in the town, the disease was bound to spread.

Dr Baldev Singh Sahota, Civil Surgeon, said there was no panic in the area. The department had made sufficient arrangements and was taking preventive steps to stop mosquito breeding, he added. In contrast, all six patients tested positive for dengue were referred to DMC, Ludhiana, and GGSMCH, Faridkot.

Barnala: Three dengue cases have been reported in the district so far. Dr Gian Chand, Assistant Civil Surgeon said two patients were from Barnala and one from Handhiaya. He said all patients were now discharged from hospital.

He said the district health authorities had started spraying anti-larva medicine in vulnerable areas. At the Barnala Civil Hospital, a room had also been prepared with four beds for dengue patients.

(With inputs from Anupam Bhagria, Gagan K. Teja, PK Jaiswar, Sushil Goyal, Balwant Garg and Archit Watts)

Damage control

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has started ward-wise fogging

Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal has told the MC to undertake preventive measures

The Health Department is conducting an awareness drive in the city

Patients with severe illness are treated at the Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital

Official speak

Despite confusion over the actual number of dengue cases, the prevalence of the disease is comparatively lower than the previous years. The situation is certainly not alarmingly

Dr Yash Mitra, Civil Surgeon, Amritsar

Row over actual number of cases

Govt Vs private

While government hospitals are relying on Mac-Elisa for dengue diagnosis, most private hospitals and clinics opt for NS1 Elisa which they claim is more reliable during the initial stage of the disease

NS1 Elisa

Also called card test is an antigen test that detects dengue virus in the initial days of infection with over 99 per cent accuracy. Most private clinics are relying on this test

Mac-Elisa

It is an antibody test where antibodies formed against the dengue virus are diagnosed after seven to nine days of infection. If this test is done in the initial days, it is bound to give a negative result