Dengue on rise, highest in 3 years, malaria on decline in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, October 4

Cases of dreaded dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas, are on the rise and are highest in the past three years while those of malaria, a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans, are on the decline in the district this year, officials have confirmed.

With no death due to dengue reported this year so far, Ludhiana has reported 339 confirmed and 2,054 suspected cases of the dreaded fever till Wednesday. Of the total suspected patients, 1,211 were from Ludhiana district, 721 from other districts, and 122 from other states.

When it comes to malaria, only 11 positive cases have been recorded in the district till Wednesday. These were almost half than 19 malaria patients reported in the district till September 30 in 2022, and 27 in 2019. However, malaria incidence was less in 2021 and 2020 when seven cases were reported throughout both years.

According to the official figures compiled by the Health Department, the incidence of dengue this year was the highest since 2020.

Till September 30, as many as 116 positive dengue cases were reported in 2022, 184 in 2021 and 237 in 2020.

This year, the tally of positive dengue patients has touched 339 till October 4, which was almost double than the figure during the corresponding period last year.

The trend of the past 10 days showed that 81 confirmed dengue cases had been reported in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, between September 23 and October 4.

The cases were on the rise with as many as 13 fresh patients testing positive for dengue during the past 24 hours.

However, no casualty due to dengue was reported till date.

On the malaria front, 19 positive cases were reported in Ludhiana till September 30 last year and seven each in 2021 and 2020. The entire years of 2021 and 2020 had logged a total of seven malaria cases each in Ludhiana.

The comparative figures of the past four years revealed that as many as 3,474 suspected, 1,077 confirmed cases and six dengue deaths were reported in the district in 2022, 4,713 suspected, 1,829 confirmed cases and 19 deaths in 2021, 2,013 suspected, 1,355 confirmed cases and two deaths in 2020 and 3,541 suspected, 1,509 confirmed cases and no death due to dengue was reported in Ludhiana during 2019.

On the malaria front, as many as 33 positive cases were reported in 2022, seven each in 2021 and 2020, and 27 in 2019.

When it comes to the state, as many as 5,569 confirmed and 32,937 suspected cases of dengue have been reported so far.

Monitoring situation: HM

“I have been regularly reviewing the situation of vector-borne diseases post-heavy rainfall in the state, which is under control. All the departments concerned have been directed to make collaborative efforts to control the spread of dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. The Local Government and Rural Development departments have been asked to ramp up cleanliness activities to safeguard public health. A special campaign to check breeding of mosquitoes and flies is also underway,” said Dr Balbir Singh, Health Minister.

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