Chikungunya, dengue cases on the rise: NCDC

As dengue cases have seen a spike of nearly 15 times, officials here blamed the scarcity of water that the State is experiencing as the summer is setting in.

As per the data released by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts recorded 25 and 21 chikungunya cases.

In 2017, when dengue outbreak hit Tamil Nadu, there were 23,294 cases and 65 deaths. It came down to 3,636 cases and 5 deaths last year. According to officials, the outbreak in 2017 was mainly due to water shortage, as people collected fresh water in containers to tide over the crisis, which then led to breeding of mosquitoes. If there is a shortage of water, officials added, the cases of dengue are likely to increase.

Dr K Kolandaisamy, Director of Public Health, said the spike in dengue and chikungunya cases and lab tests have confirmed the presence of aedes mosquito that spread these fevers. “The laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the vectors; we are holding meetings with the respective district in-charges to work on control and preventive measures,” said Dr Kolandaisamy.

The State Health Department is also conducting a survey to analyse the entomological incidence of dengue and other vector borne diseases. Dengue and other viral fever cases are being constantly monitored, said State Health Department officials, adding that control and preventive measures were being taken.

Dengue and chikungunya cases usually report an increase only after June when rainwater gets stagnated. However, a surge in the vector-borne diseases in March indicate an impending spike during the monsoon season, experts said.

“We have conducted door-to-door survey in the districts that reported outbreak, and serum samples have been sent to the laboratory for testing. We are also planning on health awareness campaigns to prevent the outbreak,” added Dr Kolandaisamy.