Malaria, dengue grip division even before end of monsoon

Nagpur: Malaria and dengue, the two deadly vector-borne diseases, are in spate in the division much before monsoon is showing signs of withdrawal. Till August 18, 2,042 positive cases in malaria and 188 in dengue have been registered in the division. Most of the malaria cases are from Gadchiroli district while dengue is from Nagpur district.
As per data available from the state’s public health department, one malarial death has been registered from Bhandara district.
A 17.22 lakh people from six districts of the division reported with fever so their blood samples were tested between January 1 and August 21. Out of them, 2,042 tested positive for malaria, of which 1,699 are from Gadchiroli district, 257 from Gondia, 56 from Chandrapur, 14 from Nagpur, 12 from Bhandara and 4 from Wardha.
Of the total 188 dengue positive cases, Nagpur district registered the highest cases at 92 followed by 53 in Chandrapur, 38 in Wardha and 5 in Gadchiroli. No cases were reported from Bhandara and Gondia.
With private hospitals usually not reporting the cases even though it is mandatory, the cases might be higher.
Assistant director of health services Dr Milind Ganvir told TOI that malaria and dengue cases show a rise towards the end of monsoon season which is usually in September. “This year, a higher number of cases are being registered from August itself,” he said, adding that Gadchiroli has thrown up maximum cases of malaria.
According to Ganvir, there is “antigenic change” in dengue this year. “After an epidemic-like situation in the division in 2014, dengue cases came down in 2015 and 2016. It increased slightly in 2017 and again this year. As there are four types of dengue, the chances of change in antigenic cannot be ruled out this year,” he said.
Ganvir added that dengue cases were always on the higher side in Nagpur district. “We have entered into an agreement with All India Institute of Local Self Government for conducting door-to-door inspection in the city’s outskirts, especially in Wadi and adjoining places. The public health department teams are immediately getting into the act after suspected cases emerge,” he said.
Deputy director of health services Dr Sanjay Jaiswal said there has been no malarial deaths so far in Gadchiroli district. “Earlier, that would be the case. Awareness among the people to consult doctors, take precautionary measures and easy availability of public health care especially in government hospitals are main reasons behind reduction in deaths,” he said.
Ganvir also said the government has distributed over 3 lakh anti-bacterial mosquito nets in Gadchiroli district in the last three years. “After initial hesitation, now over 60% people are using these nets. Some of the major reasons behind a high number of malaria cases in Gadchiroli are people preferring to sleep outside and at agriculture farms, and stagnant water collecting in chopped bamboos and residential localities,” he said.