305 dengue cases already in city, Bengaluru tops list in stat

Bengaluru: Not even May and the city has already reported 305 cases of dengue since January, while across the state, 703 dengue positive cases have been reported. Bengaluru stands first among all districts in the state.

“Prevention is certainly better than cure for dengue. The prevalence of vector-borne diseases, like dengue and malaria, is high during summer because of stagnant water and overflowing drains, which are ideal for mosquitoes to breed. People with weak immune systems are more susceptible to these diseases and they should consult a doctor if they have any symptoms of nausea, abdominal pain, dysentery, diarrhoea, fever and vomiting," advises Dr Ramya V. Raghavan, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital, Whitefield.

City authorities should quick action to bring the situation under control, which will play a major role in protecting citizens from preventable diseases, he says.

“The negligence and ignorance of people is also to blame for increasing number of dengue cases as they tend to downplay the fever and waste time in experimenting with alternative medicines. It leads to loss of crucial time in reaching the right hospital and delayed diagnosis. Also, the cost of dengue tests should be reduced," stresses Dr Sudha Menon, Director, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, adding that the hospital is already witnessing dengue cases.

Dr Sanjay Rao, Consultant, Internal medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital, Hebbal stresses the need for prevention to bring down the numbers during peak season. “Desert coolers and water storage tanks should be cleaned regularly, at least once in a week. Dengue spreads because of mosquitoes. To prevent mosquito breeding, 2 teaspoons of kerosene or petrol should be put into 100 litres of stagnant water.”

Tips to prevent dengue

Dengue fever is caused by dengue virus and is accompanied with symptoms like high fever, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, headache, severe joint pains and skin rashes. Following precautions should be taken to prevent the disease:

Desert coolers and water storage tanks should be cleaned on a regular basis, at least once a week.

Dengue spreads because of mosquitoes. To prevent mosquito breeding, two teaspoons of kerosene or petrol should be put into 100 litres of stagnant water.
Mosquito net and repellants should be used to avoid mosquito bites.

Throw away old tyres, broken pots and pans, which can hold water and turn into mosquito breeding spots.

Use screens and nets on doors and windows to prevent entry of mosquito inside the house