With dengue cases rising in Hyderabad, civic body to hold health camps

This meeting took place after media reports suggested that over 1,000 cases of dengue had been reported across the state.
With dengue cases rising in Hyderabad, civic body to hold health camps
With dengue cases rising in Hyderabad, civic body to hold health camps
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With a high number of dengue and malaria cases being reported in the city, officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Sunday held a review meeting and decided to conduct a massive operation to combat the spread of vector and water borne diseases.

This meeting took place after media reports suggested that over 1,000 cases of dengue had been reported across the state, with the districts of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy alone, reporting 314 cases, as of June 22. Several malaria cases were also reported in the city.

Stating that the diseases were being reported due to the onset of monsoon, GHMC Commissioner Dana Kishore said that around 500 health camps would be conducted in the limits of the municipal body.

In vulnerable areas, anti-larva and fogging operations will be taken up simaltaneously along with awarness campaigns in schools and slums, to ensure that authorities can combat and control the diseases, officials said.

The GHMC Commissioner also took stock of the availability of medicines and other required material at their disposal.

"Take up awareness campaigns through TV scrolls, pamphlets, door stickers, Facebook, Twitter etc, and also involve local corporators in awareness campaign programmes," a press note quoted Dana Kishore as saying.

The District Medical Health Officers (DMHOs) of Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Ranga Reddy districts, who were present at the review meeting, apprised the GHMC Commissioner about the number of cases reported and confirmed of dengue, malaria and swine flu, along with their plan of action to control the diseases.

The Commissioner instructed officials to obtain daily reports of dengue and malaria cases from government and private hospitals to monitor the situation and to take preventive steps.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Health Department has claimed that the number of cases could have been falsely reported and stated that only 324 of the 975 cases from private  hospitals across the state, which were sent for re-verification, tested positive.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by one of the five major  strains of the dengue virus. It is spread to humans via mosquito bites. Three to fourteen days following exposure to the virus, symptoms generally begin to set in. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain. Headaches, myalgia (muscle pain) and general fatigue can also be seen in those presenting with the disease.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the typical carrier of the infection. It is a dark mosquito with a white streak and can populate in natural habitats by laying eggs in common spots of stagnant water accumulation. Unreliable sanitation measures and lack of regular garbage collection has also been noted to be a major cause for the spread of dengue.

Preventive measures to take include ensuring that there is no stagnation of water, using protective gear and repellents as needed. In addition, all garbage should be covered, and wet and dry wastes should be separated accordingly. Furthermore, use of mesh nets on windows and doors will also be an additional helpful measure.

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