By: Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 04: Dengue cases are on the rise in Jammu & Kashmir with 528 cases reported this year so far in the Union Territory.
The State Surveillance Officer, Dr Harjeet Rai told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that this year, 528 cases of dengue have been reported in J&K.
He said dengue cases are projected to surge post-monsoon and advised people to take “preemptive” measures to combat the painful mosquito-borne disease in the absence of any vaccine.
Dengue caused by viruses carried by infected mosquitoes has always been a health concern and people need to take precautions to protect themselves from falling prey to the virus, he added.
Meanwhile, the doctors have advised people to use mosquito repellents and wear full-sleeves shirts to save themselves from mosquito bites which they said choose to breed in stagnant water accumulated by water-logging mainly during monsoon.
“The best way to prevent dengue fever is to eliminate pockets of stagnant water that serve as mosquito breeding sites at home, at schools, workplaces and their vicinity, and to avoid mosquito bites,” the doctors advised.
They said the mosquitoes that spread dengue are active during the day. “Cover as much of your body as possible and use mosquito nets if sleeping during the day and spray the nets with insect repellents,” they said.
The most common symptoms, as per doctors, are fever and headache, eye pain (typically behind the eyes), muscle, joint or bone pain, rash, nausea and vomiting.
Anyone having stomach or belly pain, tenderness, vomiting (at least 3 times in 24 hours), bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood, or blood in the stool and feeling tired, restless, or irritable, must consult a doctor, the advisory mentions, adding that the mosquito remains active mostly at dusk and dawn and people must wear clothes that minimise skin exposure to these mosquitoes.
Meanwhile, the officials said that 8,269 dengue cases (the highest number) and 18 deaths were reported in J&K last year.
They said two cases were in 2009, none in 2010, three in 2011, and 16 in 2012. However, 1,837 cases were reported in 2013.
In 2014, four cases were reported, 153 in 2015, 79 in 2016, 488 in 2017, 214 in 2018, 439 in 2019, 53 in 2020, and 1,709 in 2021, the officials said—(KNO)
