Mangaluru, Udupi witness surge in dengue cases

Mangaluru/Udupi: The coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi are witnessing a massive surge in dengue cases, prompting swift action from health authorities. The most sought after government hospital in Mangaluru, Wenlock Hospital has established a special ward to address the rising number of cases.

The recent rains have created ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes that transmit dengue. As a precaution, Wenlock Hospital has prepared a 15-bed general ward and an eight-bed ventilator ward. In addition, monitoring has been intensified at the taluk level to manage the situation.

DK district has reported 263 dengue cases this year, which marks a significant increase from the 120 cases reported last year during the same period, with an earlier onset this year due to June rains.

Migrant labourers are said to be affected the most by dengue. To combat this, the health department is conducting a larvae survey throughout the district, deploying health safety officers in villages.

Community involvement is also crucial, with ASHA workers, multi-purpose workers (MPWs), and college students conducting larvae surveys in hyperlocal areas. Despite the rise in cases, there has been no dengue-related death since 2021, maintaining a positive trend from previous years.

Health officials focus on destroying larvae breeding sites every Friday while advising the public to clean water containers weekly and discard items that can collect stagnant water.

Dengue cases in Udupi however, have increased four times this year, with 182 cases reported so far. Unlike Mangaluru, no special ward has been designated, but medical treatment is provided based on case severity. It is to be noted that during the same period last year, 45 cases were reported in Udupi.

To ensure readiness, a survey of platelets was conducted in both the districts. According to reports, the two districts have adequate supplies.