Tamil Nadu: Dengue cases rise in key districts, officials told to step up field surveillance

CHENNAI: With dengue cases increasing in Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has directed officials across the State to intensify field surveillance and take swift action to identify and eliminate sources of mosquito breeding.

Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr A Somasundaram held a video conference with health officials across the State and reviewed the dengue situation, directing them to strengthen preventive and control measures.

Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts were identified as areas reporting a high incidence of dengue, while cases were also increasing in Kallakurichi district. The review noted that children were among those affected by dengue fever.

Officials were instructed to exercise particular caution in rural areas and prevent circumstances that could facilitate the spread of dengue. The department also stressed the need to identify and address potential mosquito-breeding sources in such areas.

Joint Directors of Public Health working across the State were directed to visit villages in their respective jurisdictions and identify the sources from which dengue mosquito larvae were emerging.

They were asked to determine how such breeding sources could be controlled and eliminated and to initiate immediate measures to contain the spread.

The officials were also instructed to closely monitor the situation in areas reporting higher incidence and intensify field-level interventions wherever cases were increasing.

The officials were directed to ensure that preventive measures were implemented promptly at the ground level and that the dengue situation was continuously monitored across the State.