Dengue situation grim in Odisha, spreads to 30 districts

Bhubaneswar: With the rise in dengue cases across Odisha, the situation continues to worsen as the infection has now spread to all 30 districts of the state.

Informing about it, Dr. Niranjan Mishra, Director of Public Health, said, “The peak period of the infection is ongoing. It is likely to continue till the month of September.”

In order to lessen the burden on the Capital Hospital, dengue testing facilities will start functioning at the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) and Nayapalli within 2-3 days, said Mishra.

The Health Department has decided to open dengue ward in all four Community Health Centers (CHCs) in the city. The urban CHCs will have 10 beds each for dengue patients. In view of the rising cases, blood banks have been directed to keep adequate stock.

Mishra said the number of dengue cases have risen as the state intensified surveillance and testing.

There is no need to panic as the complication rate is less than five per cent while the fatality rate is less than one percent, he said.

“Around 70 percent of the samples tested at the RMRC belongs to DENV-2 category while 28 percent are of DENV-1 type. DENV-3 and coinfection were found in rare cases,” said Sanghamitra Pati, RMRC Director.