Dengue threat looms over flooded Jalandhar villages

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, July 29

The district has reported six cases of dengue since May in the district. After the floods and stagnant water, the threat of spread of the disease is looming large over flooded rural areas.

Amid the receding flood waters in over 40 flood-hit villages in Jalandhar, dengue cases come at a time when the rural belt is more vulnerable to the disease due to stagnant rainwater. However, of the six cases reported in Jalandhar so far, only two were reported from the rural and four from the urban belts.

Hectic drives have been initiated by the Health Department to check dengue in the region. In flood-hit areas, larvicide sprays are being conducted and disbursal of chlorine tablets is being carried out to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases and infections.

Besides, door-to-door surveys are also being carried out by medical teams in flood-hit areas and teams have also been deputed at the bundh.

In Jalandhar, 1,55,174 houses have been surveyed so far (for Dengue larvae) and 399 larvae have been found. A total of 262 people have been sampled for dengue in the district till today, of whom six have tested positive.

Eleven more residents have tested positive in Jalandhar, but these 11 patients hail from other districts like Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala, Ropar, etc.

A total of 1,55,174 houses have been surveyed for dengue larvae. Door-to-door surveys were carried out at 2,111 houses today. Of this, 1,754 are rural and 357 urban.

A total of 399 dengue larvae have been found in the district (344 urban and 55 rural). Today alone, six larvae were found (5 urban and 1 rural). A total of 262 people have been sampled for dengue (221 of whom hail from Jalandhar). Nine challans have been issued by MC teams to violators during dengue prevention drives.

Civil Surgeon, Jalandhar, Dr Raman Sharma said, “Of the six dengue cases, which have tested positive in the district, none are from the flood-hit areas. Hectic fogging, larvicide spray and health drives were carried out across flood-affected villages from June 14 itself. We did not even wait for a week (standard larvae breeding period) for our dengue prevention drives to start. Fogging is already done across 32 villages which were majorly affected. In rest of the villages, which were partially affected, spray was carried out. Fogging and sprays are being carried out across 20 Jalandhar hotpots and 95 slum areas also from April, May onwards, to prevent spread of diseases.”

Epidemiologist Dr Aditya Paul said, “Door-to-door surveys are being carried out in flood-affected areas daily. No sample from flood-hit areas has tested positive for dengue. Most of the health conditions being reported from flood-hit areas are skin related allergies, rashes or infections. Larvicide sprays is carried out daily to prevent spread of diseases.”