With the change in climate dengue fever has again started to spread its wings in Bokaro. At present three suspected patients are admitted in the isolation ward at Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) and kept under observation, informed AK Poddar, district Malaria officer.
Few days earlier one case of dengue fever was traced at Ranipokar and tested positive. Presently three more suspected cases form Ranipokar and one Anita Kumar (24) a resident of Sector 12 were admitted at the hospital and now under observation, he said.
“Blood samples of all suspected cases have been collected yesterday and sent for further test,” added Poddar.
The district health department issued an alert, closely monitoring the areas from where the fever was reported and found the factors leading the spurt in the mosquito-borne disease. Precautionary measures are being taken to control dengue. Soon we will send our teams for fogging and to conduct surveys in the city as well as villages, he said.
“We have sought public support in controlling the menace of vector-borne diseases and also sent a letter to the civic body for participating in the campaign to fight against it,” he added.
“Generally, people use mosquito repellents at night. But due to changes in climatic conditions, they must use them during the day as the Aedes mosquito bites in the daytime too,” said a medical expert.
Dengue fever (DF) is a viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. DF causes severe, flu-like symptoms with high fever and extreme muscle and joint pain. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) are less common but more severe forms of the disease.
DHF or DSS initially present with very similar symptoms to DF. The disease then progresses to a stage where the blood vessels become permeable causing a breakdown of the circulatory system, fluid loss, and possibly death, he said.