DENGUE OUTBREAK IN INDIA

Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, India has got another outbreak to tackle before it becomes too deadly. Every year India suffers from dengue spread from July to August. This year no. of dengue cases has increased drastically. Several states in the country are affected by dengue but Uttar Pradesh is the worst hit of them all as 58 people including children have already died in the state. In the capital city of Delhi, around 97 cases have been reported this year.

Many states have reported dengue cases with symptoms similar to flu while Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana have reported dengue stereotype-II.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is caused by the bite of mosquitoes that breed in clear stagnant water. Dengue fever is easily mistaken as viral fever with its flu-like symptoms but if not taken care of it can cause severe damage like internal bleeding, low blood pressure, or organ damage. 

India has intensified its measures to prevent maximum damage. Many states have started campaigns to spread awareness. Delhi’s CM Arvind Kejriwal has started a campaign against dengue along with the hashtag #10hafte10baje10minute through which he has asked citizens to give 10 minutes every Sunday to check for stagnant water in their houses to prevent the spreading of disease.

In Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi Adityanath visited Firozabad to check the facilities provided. He has also asked the medical department to take special care of the diseased and asked for cleaning and spraying rural and urban areas to ward off water-borne diseases. 

The Indian government has asked all the 11 states that have been showing severe dengue infections to step up the prevention measures. The states have been asked to take surveys of people under flu, step up the medical facilities,  do cleaning and spraying, and control the mosquito population. 

India has been facing dengue outbreaks during monsoon for years. India needs to take sincere steps to avoid the outbreak which includes cleaning Indian cities, making people aware about the illness, accessible medical facilities, and taking extra precautions during monsoon.