16,000 cases, 61 deaths: Punjab in grip of dengue

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 30

The Punjab Government seems to have been caught napping, with the state recording highest ever dengue cases this year. So far 16,129 cases and over 60 deaths have been reported.

Earlier, the highest number of cases and fatalities in a calendar year were reported in 2017, when 15,398 persons were infected and 18 died due to dengue.

Between September 30 and October 30, the state reported 12,000 cases and over 50 deaths, which, according to the health authorities, is the worst-ever spike in 30 days. Though the officials claim that the cases have started declining, experts say not much relief can be expected for at least another month till there is a steep decline in night temperature. SAS Nagar is the worst-affected district with 2,457 cases and 31 deaths, followed by Bathinda (2,063 and 4), Hoshiarpur (1,465), Amritsar (1,461) and Pathankot (1,434 and 1).

The experts said the Local Bodies and Rural Development Department as well as village panchayats failed to take timely action to prevent the outbreak of this vector-borne disease.