UP: NCDC in Firozabad to probe ‘viral’ deaths, WHO says ‘dengue hemorrhagic fever’

AGRA/NOIDA: A five-member team of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) sent by the Union health ministry is in Firozabad to investigate deaths of children after prolonged fever, dropping platelets, severe dehydration and bleeding of gums. The Firozabad DM and UP DG (health) said dengue haemorrhagic fever could be the cause while the UP medical education principal secretary said these are cases of dengue, leptospirosis and scrub typhus.

With six more cases, the death toll in Firozabad, the epicentre of the viral disease, touched 71. Of them, 52 were children, local sources said. “The WHO has suggested dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) could be causing deaths,” Firozabad DM Chandra Vijay Singh told TOI.

UP DG (health) Dr Ved Vrat Singh said, “The Centre has asked the NCDC team to investigate deaths due to viral fever and dengue-like symptoms in Firozabad. The team will also study the nature of vector-borne diseases spreading there.” He added, “Local authorities have been alerted about the spread of dengue haemorrhagic fever. It is a severe form of the disease.”

During a visit by UP chief secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari to Noida, officials said some samples had been tested. “We can say for sure that there are known causes and there is no mystery. We had sent samples to KGMU (King George’s Medical University), Lucknow that have confirmed dengue in several cases. It was a small outbreak of dengue and leptospirosis,” Alok Kumar, principal secretary of UP medical education, told TOI. Officials said 185 samples had been tested by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), of which 73 were positive for dengue, 47 for leptospirosis, 28 for scrub typhus and one for Japanese encephalitis.

At a meeting in Lucknow, CM Yogi Adityanath had asked Kumar to position himself in Firozabad and monitor the situation. Senior IAS officer Sudhir M Bobde has been appointed nodal officer for Firozabad district. Sources in Firozabad told TOI that an estimated 5,000 people in the district are bedridden with fever, at home and in hospitals.

With increasing cases, the situation is fast turning Covid-like. Health officials said 400 patients were being treated at the Government Medical College, Firozabad, on Friday, two-thirds of whom were children. An additional facility with 100 beds will be set up by Saturday morning. “Beds have been increased at Mathura medical college. Surveillance and anti-larvae activity has been stepped up,” said Kumar. “Twelve doctors from other districts have been sent to Firozabad to manage the crisis … We have also arranged for additional blood donation camps and platelet units from Agra, Kanpur and Lucknow are being brought in. I will be camping in Firozabad for two days.”

Additional director (health) AK Singh, too, said, there are enough reserves. “There is no shortage of platelets and medicines at government centres. I will look into the availability of hearses,” he added. A video of a man carrying his dead daughter on a bike outside the Firozabad medical college had gone viral. “She died without proper treatment on Thursday evening. I requested a hearse but there was none,” the man, Ramkumar, said.

There were reports of ambulances charging up to Rs 20,000 in Firozabad to get patients to neighbouring districts where there might be better chances of getting beds. One such person, Vimal Gautam, said, “I admitted my 5-year-old daughter to a private hospital after she had high fever. Her platelet count started falling on Friday morning. Doctors asked me to arrange for three units but I could not. I took her to the medical college but there were no beds. I am trying to get her to Agra but private ambulances are overcharging. I will try a taxi.”