Dengue and viral fever are spreading across the steel city, with affected people continuing to pour into hospitals and nursing homes on Tuesday.
In last 24 hours alone four suspected cases of dengue in the district have been reported that brought East Singhbhum health administration on toes.
While two samples of suspected cases were sent to Dimna-based MGM Medical College's lab for the confirmation yesterday evening, two more samples have been sent today for confirmatory test at the same place by the Integrated Diseases Surveillance Programme's office this morning.
The cases whose samples have been sent include that of a 50-year-old man from Golmuri undergoing treatment at Brahmanand Narayana Hrudalaya Hospital at Tamolia near Mango, a 25 year-old tribal from Purulia (Bengal) and another 26-year-old from Ichagarh Seraikela-Kharawan, both are admitted at MGM Medical College and Hospital and a 24-year old from Hurlung near Telco admitted at Tata Motors Hospital.
ISDP district officer and in-charge of national vector borne diseases control program, Sahir Pall in the district said that they are concerned over the situation.
He added that they have issued a directive to the hospitals and nursing homes to immediately inform about any suspected dengue cases.
The official said all the samples have shown NS-1 card positive and they would be getting Elisa test results either this evening or tomorrow.
The local urban bodies (Jamshedpur notified area committee, Mango notified area committee and Jugsalai municipality) and Jusco have been asked by the district health department to clear accumulated water and clogged drains on a war footing in their areas.
“We have asked our men to carry out fogging exercise in the affected areas of Jugsalai and Mango with focus on identifying and destroying unused containers storing waters in houses and localities and educating locals about steps to prevent breeding of dengue vectors,” said a senior administrative official.
This exercise would be held simultaneously with routine methods of spraying larvicidal in the area. Pall noted said: “We need to understand that mosquitoes that carry the virus of dengue do not come from outside, rather they generate from the household things like flower-pots, coolers water, rejected tyre kept on the roof top or in the corner of the garden. So we must ensure that there is no such place where water is stagnant for sometime.”
He said that the administration will launch a special drive to create awareness on dengue and the Health Department will monitor the onset of the disease.
The department has also started information, education and communication (IEC) campaign by conducting workshops. Steps would be taken to put banners prepared by state health department at roundabouts and strategic locations in city about symptoms of dengue and Japanese encephalitis and its preventive measures.