Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 5
There is no respite from dengue in the state as the number of patients has more than doubled from 1,217 cases on October 17 to 2,534 on November 3.
According to the Health Department figures, 2,534 positive cases of dengue have been reported in the state against 1,996 cases during the corresponding period last year.
What is worrisome is that of these cases, more than 2,000 have come to the fore in the past 45 days.
Sources say the actual number of dengue patients is higher. As the health authorities recorded only those cases that tested positive in government laboratories through ELISA or NS1 Antigen tests, a large number of cases go unreported.
The department figures do not show any death due to dengue in the state, though media reports show that at least 10 persons have died due to the disease.
According to the official records, the maximum number of 352 cases have been reported in Hisar district, followed by Rohtak 334, Ambala 260, Fatehabad 253, Panipat 198, Panchkula 173, Rewari 136, Kaithal 129, Faridabad 112, Sirsa 92, Jhajjar, 90, Kurukshetra 82, Jind 72, Karnal 60, Gurugram 54, Sonepat 52, Yamunanagar 41, Bhiwani 38, Mahendergarh and Palwal 3 each.
No case has been reported from Nuh district.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently taken suo moto notice of the rising dengue cases in Haryana and served a notice on the Health Department.
The sources say the department submitted an affidavit before the court, listing steps taken to control the disease.
Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Jha said the department had taken effective steps, including fogging in rural and urban areas and anti-larval activities, for the control of dengue.
He added the department is educating people to keep their surroundings clean and not allow water to stagnate as mosquito responsible for dengue breeds in clean water, normally in households.
District Dengue cases
Hisar 352
Rohtak 334
Ambala 260
Fatehabad 253
Panipat 198
Panchkula 173
Rewari 136
Kaithal 129
Faridabad 112
Sirsa 92
Jhajjar 90
Kurukshetra 82
Jind 72
Karnal 60
Gurugram 54
Sonepat 52
Yamunanagar 41
Bhiwani 38
Mahindergarh 3
Palwal 3
Nuh 0