Amid spike in dengue cases in Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah stresses on need to maintain hygiene

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made an appeal on Monday to the public stressing on the need to maintain hygiene at the house and surroundings in the backdrop of a spike in the number of dengue cases in Karnataka and state capital Bengaluru.

“Across the state, in the recent past, more than 7,000 dengue cases have been reported. Among these, more than 4,000 dengue cases are reported in Bengaluru city alone,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

“I have directed the concerned department officials to initiate all precautionary measures. The steps have already been taken to spray chemicals to contain the mosquito menace. The water clogging points will be identified and effective measures are taken to contain the disease,” he explained.

“I appeal to the public to give priority to the cleanliness of the surroundings of the house. Beware about mosquito bites. Do not fear dengue, be aware,” Siddaramaiah stated.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had stated last week that 4,427 dengue cases have been detected till date this year in Bengaluru alone, adding that the cases will now be monitored through an app developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). In Bengaluru, 1,649 dengue cases were reported in July, 1,589 in August, while 416 cases have been reported till last week in September. The disease is spreading due to stagnant rainwater,

To contain dengue surge in Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, the state government has inaugurated a disease surveillance dashboard and mobile application.

State Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao inaugurated earlier the disease surveillance dashboard at the ARTPARK office in the premises of Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Karnataka (DHFW-GoK) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have partnered with the AI and Robotics Technology Park at the Indian Institute of Science (ARTPARK@IISc) to develop predictive analytics and assist policymakers and public health officials in preparing for outbreaks and managing disease control activities, an official statement for state's health ministry said.

The disease surveillance dashboard will provide a map of outbreaks across Karnataka at the district and sub-district levels along with case trends across years.