CHENNAI: Several children have been admitted to hospitals after suffering from dengue fever in Chengalpattu district, sparking panic among parents and public, according to a Daily Thanthi report.
Children affected by the fever have been admitted to various government hospitals including in Guduvanchery and Chengalpattu.
According to residents, the fever is also spreading among adults with additional symptoms like headache, vomiting and other ailments.
The public has requested the Tamil Nadu government and the panchayat administration to take action to curb the outbreak.
Last month, the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department intensified surveillance across the State, deploying an inter-departmental strategy to strengthen early detection, monitor disease transmission, and eliminate mosquito breeding hotspots, even as officials clarified that there was no immediate plan to roll out Qdenga, the first approved dengue vaccine in India.
Last year, between January and November, the state recorded 20,866 dengue cases and 12 deaths. Health officials attributed the high case count not to an uncontrolled outbreak, but to the strength of Tamil Nadu’s disease surveillance and reporting system, which tracks infections from the primary health centre (PHC) level to secondary and tertiary care hospitals.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The illness typically presents with high fever, severe headache, body and joint pain, nausea, vomiting and skin rashes.
While there is no specific antiviral treatment, officials stress that early diagnosis, adequate hydration, timely medical care and sustained mosquito control remain the most effective measures to prevent severe disease and fatalities.
(With inputs from Bureau)