Awareness to keep dengue at bay

Srikakulam: Massive awareness among people on dengue and its symptoms is required for its prevention. Two days ago, a tribal woman Biddika Sabitha (25) of Gurandi village in Bhamini mandal died of dengue symptoms at a private hospital. With the death, district malaria officer Dr G Verraju visited Gurandi village and collected information on death of Sabitha. 

He visited houses in the village where residents are suffering from fever and collected their blood samples. “We sent blood samples of patients to the Government RIMS Hospital here on Wednesday for Elisa test to confirm dengue”, DMO explained.

Total 197 dengue positive cases have been reported in a span of four years in Srikakulam district from 2014 to May 2018.  In all, 1,843 blood samples have been collected by the district epidemic cell medical officers and staff for the last four years. In 2014, total positive cases were 14, in 2015 dengue positive cases were six in 2016, total cases rose to 114 and in 2017, the number fell to 57 positive cases.

In 2018, 67 blood samples were collected across the district till June 5 and six positive cases were detected out of them.Two tests are required to confirm dengue,  preliminary test is NS-1 antigen test. For further clarity and confirmation, Elisa test is essential.

NS-1 test is available at all primary health centers (PHC), area hospitals, community health centres  (CHC) and private hospitals also. It is a simple test to confirm symptoms at preliminary level. Elisa test is available only at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Srikakulam.

Dengue is a notified disease declared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare basing on the guidelines provided by World Health Organisation (WHO). “Every private or government hospital in the district shall inform the district medical and health officials after getting positive results in NS-1 test”, district epidemic cell in-charge Dr Panga Giridhar Rao told The Hans India.

“We are creating awareness among the people on the disease for its better prevention and removal of storage water and other precautions”,  district medical and health officer (DM&HO) Dr Sanapala Tirupathi Rao told this newspaper. Children below nine years and above 50 years and pregnant women should take care after detection of dengue, he elaborated.