Times of India
13 Octotber 2010
By Pushpa Narayan
Chennai, India

There has been a sudden rise in mosquitoborne diseases in the city, particularly dengue. Hospitals here have recorded an increase in case of hospitalisations due to dengue in the last one month.

This year, the state has 996 case of dengue, of which 290 were from the city. Though there have been no official deaths in the city, doctors in private hospitals don’t rule them out. In the last one week there were more than 20 dengue cases, half of them from Chennai.

Patients have been visiting doctors with complaints of high grade fever and acute pain in the joints along with dropping platelet counts. The mosquito–borne viral disease is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito. The entomologists say that population of aedes mosquitoes has already taken over the malariacausing female anopheles.

Several private practitioners admitted that they have been seeing increase in dengue cases even in adults. The Institute of Child Health has recorded more than 15 cases of dengue in the last two weeks.

"The children have been treated and discharged," said Dr P Ramachandran, director, Institute of Child Health. In several other hospitals – Kanchi Kamakoti Child’s Trust hospital, Mehta children’s hospital, Sooriya Hospital and Apollo Children’s hospital – they have admitted more than 10 children each in the last one week.

Doctors say that the incidence of dengue is likely to increase after rains. "This is the season for such diseases. We will see such diseases till May and the numbers are likely to go up. We advise mosquito control measures at all homes," said senior pediatrician Dr S Balasubramanian.

The director of public health Dr R T Porkai Pandian said, "So far we have lost three people in Coimbatore and one in Krishnagiri. Such deaths can be prevented if we are able to detect it early," he said.

The department, he said, was also working with corporations and municipalities to keep mosquito breeding under control.

Buzzing In

• Disease: Dengue
• Vector: Aedes aegypti mosquito
• Breeding: Fresh water Incubation: Symptoms appear 3–14 days after the infective bite. Dengue fever affects infants, young children and adults
• Symptoms: High fever, headache, joint pain, vomiting, eye pain and rashes. Younger children have milder symptoms than adults. Dengue haemorrhagic fever, a more severe form, is characterised by fever that lasts from 2 to 7 days
• Treatment: No specific antiviral medicines. It is important to maintain hydration. Use of acetylsalicylic acid (eg aspirin) and non–steroidal anti–inflammatory drugs (eg Ibuprofen) are not recommended