Malaria cases witness spike in Dera Bassi

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, September 16

The Health Department and Dera Bassi Municipal Council’s claims of regular fogging and awareness campaigns to curb malaria menace have fallen flat.

The number of people affected with malaria has spiked above 70 this year. The figure of affected people has almost doubled then the last year. A total of malaria and dengue cases reported this year stands at 72 and 6, respectively.

Rajinder Singh, Health Inspector, Civil Hospital, said, “To date 72 people have been tested positive. The victims are believed to have contacted the disease from outside the city.”

“Increased flow of migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh make the district vulnerable to such diseases. Of the cases reported, 80 per cent are migrant labourers,” he said.

He said challans were issued to over 50 people in whose premises larvae was detected in the last three months in Lalru and Dera Bassi.

Recently, the anti-larvae wing of the Health Department found dengue larvae at 37 spots in Mohalla Valmiki, Dera Bassi. The team had inspected containers, tyres and air coolers.

The department said they would intensify the anti-malaria programme fearing migratory population could transmit the disease.

The Health Department’s official said wherever they find positive cases, they get anti-larvae spray done in that particular area.