Dengue count reaches 205, Chikungunya 150 in Amritsar district

Amritsar, August 24

The district Health Department has notified 25 hotspots for Chikungunya with three or more cases. The district has reported a total of 150 chikungunya cases till date.

The Health Department has also identified 26 hotspots for dengue. The department has reported a total of 205 dengue cases so far. The health officials said prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases was more in the city areas with high population density.

The identified hotspots for chikungunya, include Mohini Park, Officer Colony, Guru Ki Wadali, Railway Colony, Fatehgarh Churrian Road, Shakti Nagar, Chhehharta, Muradpura, Verka, Dapai, Greenfield Majitha Road, Guru Amardas Avenue, Sewa Nagar, Ram Tirath Road, Hargobind Avenue, Majitha Road, Shri Ram Avenue, Gopal Nagar, Guru Nanak Pura, Bhalla Colony and Kot Khalsa.

As the high prevalence of the diseases has created panic among residents, the health officials have warned private hospitals and clinics against misguiding patients.

The health experts said as there was no specific antiviral medicine for both the diseases, these were treated symptomatically when no hospitalisation was required. Civil Surgeon Dr Vijay Kumar said the diseases could easily be managed at home with the advice of a qualified doctor.

He said private hospitals had been asked to immediately inform the Health Department regarding dengue and chikungunya patients so that their samples could be tested at government labs. The Civil Surgeon said people should include food items containing vitamin C in their diet as it helped in boosting immunity.

He said 46 teams of the department were continuously working to detect and destroy mosquito larvae in the city. “The Health Department has also set up isolation wards for dengue patients at all hospitals where they are provided free of cost treatment,” he said.