The serotype study proves that the dengue virus prevalent in Dehradun is not lethal. The district health department has received the report of the samples sent by it from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
The health officials of the state capital are heaving a sigh of relief on the finding of the report. “Only one death so far has occurred in the state from dengue despite of the fact that more than 800 cases of the disease are reported so far. The report has confirmed our belief that the virus this time is mild,’’ said one senior health department officer.
After the outbreak of the disease in the state capital the district health department had sent five samples last month to this premier institute for knowing the serotype of the virus.
The District Vector Borne Diseases Officer, J P Bahuguna said that the serotype report indicate the dengue virus is of Den III type which is less lethal. The serotype testing is done to identify the type of virus of dengue. Bahuguna informed that there are four strains of dengue virus and out of these Den II and Den IV are said to be the more lethal than other two.
Bahuguna informed that a person affected by one type of the virus develops life long immunity from that strain but can be infected by another strain subsequently. The chances of mortality in this kind of re infection increases as the immune system of the body can get deceived by this different strain of virus.