The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is grappling with a sudden surge in dengue cases in the city. This unexpected spike has raised concerns about the potential impact on public health in the region. According to data shared by BBMP Health officials, Bengaluru recorded 1,629 and 1,589 dengue cases in July and August, respectively. As of September 8, an additional 416 cases have been reported. Symptoms of dengue include fever, vomiting, skin rashes and body pain. Dengue can develop into dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome in severe cases which can lead to death.
The CV Raman General Hospital reported 66 cases of dengue fever in August. Out of the 243 patients suspected of having dengue, nearly a third tested positive. This alarming statistic is more than double the average number of cases recorded during the same month in the previous year at this hospital, says Dr Rajesh, Medical Superintendent at CV Raman General Hospital.
Health authorities attribute this surge to a combination of factors, including heavy discharge of rain in short bursts and the subsequent accumulation of stagnant water pools leading to mosquito larvae breeding. The standing water provides breeding grounds for the Aedes species (aegypti and albopictus) mosquitoes, carriers of the dengue virus, resulting in an increased risk of transmission.
Medical Superintendent of the Vani Vilas hospital, Dr Savitha C, said they had witnessed a spike in the number of patients suffering from dengue. She added that it was mostly being diagnosed in children, many of whom are also suffering from low platelet count.
In August, CV Raman General Hospital also reported 58 cases of chikungunya fever, another virus that is spread by mosquito bites.
Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had said that dengue cases will be monitored through an app developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The state government has inaugurated a disease surveillance dashboard and mobile application which will provide a map of outbreaks across Karnataka at the district and sub-district levels along with case trends across years.
Read: Amid rising dengue cases, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah urges people to maintain hygiene