Cuttack: Dengue, a vector-borne disease, is slowly reaching alarming proportions in the district here.
According to sources, dengue cases have been confirmed from at least eight places across the district. By Saturday, dengue cases have been found at places like Khannagar, Kathagada Sahi, Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) campus, Nuabazar, Saantasahi, Chhatia, 42 Mouza and Nischintakoili, sources said.
It is learnt that a medical student of SCBMCH has been tested positive for dengue. “A medical student, staying at the MBBS hostel, was tested positive for the vector-borne disease, Saturday,” said source in the hospital.
SCBMCH sources said altogether 26 blood samples out of 119 were tested positive for dengue at the premier health institute, Saturday.
Five persons from the Silver City, four from Balasore district, three from Bhadrak, six from Jajpur and five from Kendrapara were tested positive for dengue Saturday, sources said.
With five more dengue cases, the total number of people suffering from the disease has reached 215 in Cuttack district.
“This year, dengue virus has been found in 1,155 blood samples at SCBMCH. Now, altogether 48 patients are being treated at the dengue ward while three critically-ill patients are kept at the intensive care units (ICUs),” said Sriprasad Mohanty, a doctor at the medical college and hospital.
Recently, two persons died in dengue at SCBMCH. Debaki Behera of Aul in Kendrapara district died due to the disease while being treated at the hospital August 13. Similarly, Rama Barik of Sakhigopal in Puri district succumbed to dengue at SCBMCH October 16, sources added.
“The Health department and the district administration have failed to check the dengue menace in the Silver City and other parts of Cuttack district. More and more people are being tested positive for the disease every day,” said a social activist.
