8 new dengue cases in Kovai

COIMBATORE: Dengue continues to haunt Coimbatore city with eight new cases reported in the Corporation areas in September.

However, corporation officials claim that the dengue cases have drastically come down in Coimbatore.

“Dengue cases are under the control, because we have initiated anti-dengue awareness campaign through this year,” said a corporation official.

In September, only eight cases of dengue were reported, while ten cases were treated in August, said the official. In the last nine months this year, 145 patients have tested positive for dengue in Coimbatore city. The three dengue-prone areas in the city, Rathnapuri, K.K.Pudur and Ganapathy are being monitored closely, the official said.

“We have identified Rathnapuri, K.K. Pudur, Sanganur and Ganapathy as dengue-prone areas. When more than two cases of dengue are reported from the same area we consider it as dengue outbreak. So far, the city has not been witnessing any dengue outbreak,” the official insisted.

According to the corporation records, 48 dengue cases were reported in January this year, 37 in February, eight cases in March, three cases in April and two cases in May. While 19 cases were reported in June, it came down to ten each in July and August. September saw a further decline to eight cases.

Scotching fears of a dengue outbreak following the rains over the last few days, the corporation officials maintained that there would not be any immediate outbreak after the rains.

“We will know the health impact of the rains only 20 days after rains. For the dengue-causing mosquitoes would have laid their eggs in stagnant rainwater. It will take eight to ten days for the eggs to metamorphose into adult mosquitoes. And the dengue virus will take four to ten days to incubate in human body,” the official explained.

The corporation has enough stocks of pyrethrin, a chemical used in fogging operation to curb mosquitoes.