Dengue stings hard, city tally crosses 40

Gurgaon: The count of patients being diagnosed with dengue has gone up, with the city adding 18 cases over the first 17 days of this month, taking its total for this year to 42. The city reported three new cases on Tuesday.

According to data by the health department, four patients with active infection are being treated at hospitals across the city and are recovering well.

Of the 18 cases this month, seven are women and all others are men. They are all between 17 and 48 years of age.

An official said that the health department has identified Wazirabad, Bhangrola, Nakhrola, Badshapur, Bhondsi, Bhorakalan and Garhi as dengue hotspots in the city.

"We have been tracking down active cases and marking hotspots. MCG has been told to carry out fogging drives in areas with positive cases to curb breeding of dengue-causing mosquitoes," the official said.

Experts have cautioned that warm and humid temperatures after showers or between spells of rain are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes that cause the illness. Dengue and cases of other mosquito-borne diseases, they said, are likely to increase in the coming weeks.

Dr Tushar Tayal, lead consultant at the department of internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital said OPDs have seen an uptick in the number of patients reporting dengue-like symptoms over the past two weeks.

"Symptoms are milder compared to the typical range of illnesses. But it is crucial to identify them promptly and get tested. Emergency departments are witnessing an influx of dengue patients who are receiving symptomatic treatment in the form of intravenous fluids and antipyretics. There is no need for panic even if you are diagnosed with dengue. Paracetamol for fever and adequate hydration are the keys to recovery," Dr Tayal said.

Commonly seen symptoms of dengue include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a characteristic skin rash.

Doctors emphasised the need for taking preventive measures to slow the spread of infections. They recommend wearing full-sleeved clothes, using mosquitoe repellents and cleaning any pools of stagnant water from containers, coolers, among other precautions.

"Due to the accumulation of garbage, waterlogging, and humidity changes caused by waterlogging, the prevalence of these infections has become very high. We can prevent this disease burden through simple techniques like maintaining cleanliness in our surroundings," said Dr Amitabh Ghosh, consultant for internal medicine at Manipal Hospital in the city.

The city had recorded a total of 276 dengue cases, including a fatality, last year. In 2022, cases touched 440, and the year before that, 327 patients were diagnosed with the infection.

On Tuesday, doctors said dengue cases were likely to go up because of extended monsoon this year.

"Several cases have been reported in Aug and Sept, and with the continuing rainy season, we anticipate the numbers to increase further. Our emergency departments are already managing a high volume of patients, many of whom have dengue-like symptoms," said Dr Govind Prakash, head of emergency at Paras Health Hospital in the city.

Others warned about mistaking dengue for malaria, or vice-versa.

"As anticipated during this time of year, there is a substantial increase in mosquito populations, resulting in more cases of dengue and malaria. It's important to specifically mention malaria because, with the rise in dengue cases, we often overlook malaria. We are observing some positive malaria test results as well," said Dr Rajiv Dang, senior director and head of internal medicine department, and medical director at Max Hospital.