The number of dengue cases in Dehradun district jumped to 381 on Thursday with 80 more samples of suspected patients were found positive for the disease in Enzyme linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ElISA) test.
In absence of ElISA kits for the department was not able to conduct any test in last 15 days due which large number samples of suspected patients of dengue were awaiting this test. It is pertinent to mention here that the state health department considers only test by ElISA kit for confirmation of dengue.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dehradun Dr S P Agarwal said that the sudden jump in the number of Dengue cases occurred due to compilation of large samples in last 15 days. He said that of the 80 positive cases on Thursday 23 belong to Rishikesh and only 9 are from Dehradun city. Dr Agarwal claimed that most of the positive cases in the district are of those people who have come to the city from outside. However the department claims that most of these patients are now discharged from the hospitals and only five patients are undergoing treatment in them. Three dengue positive patients are admitted in Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT), Jollygrant while two are admitted in isolation ward of Doon hospital.
It is learnt that the delay in arrival of ElISA kit and subsequent strike by the NHM workers caused the long delay in this test. The health department officials admit that the number could witness another jump on Friday as results of more than 150 samples are still awaited. With 381 positive cases till date the number of dengue cases in state capital is a cause of big worry to the health officials as the cases are too high when compared with 121 cases reported last year. However the sudden drop in temperatures in last few days has brought smiles on the faces of beleaguered health officials as dengue virus vanishes in low temperatures.