Assam dengue fever update: Three dead in Guwahati in last three days

Written By: Admin | Updated : September 12, 2013 11:17 AM IST

One person died of a suspected dengue case at a private hospital on Thursday, taking the death toll to 3 in the last 3 days. The deceased was a 55-year-old male and his wife had also died of dengue. The third person to die of the disease was also from the same area and died on his way to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday. All dengue-related deaths were from Zoo Road Tinali are and the residents of the area protested against the government s inaction and burnt the effigy of state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Zoo Road Traders Association demanded that the state government take immediate steps to control the disease and also criticised the health department and local municipal corporation for their failure to contain the disease.

Last year, around 734 cases of dengue were detected and three people died last year. District chief medical and health officer S K Sen said, So far, 20 cases of dengue have been reported in the Kamrup (Metro) district and three persons have died of dengue. The cases have been detected in different localities of Gauhati like Noonmati, Narengi, Zoo Road Tiniali, Odalbakra and Maligaon. The infected people include adults and children. A majority of the patients got infected during visits to other states. We are also carrying out fogging in different parts of the city. We have 16 machines and around 32 workers, but, since the area is vast, we need of more resources, he added.

What is dengue?

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Dengue fever is a communicable disease and its symptoms include high fever for four to five days, usually accompanied by severe headache, pain in eyes, muscles and joints besides rashes. After the fever goes away, blood platelet count starts dipping. This is the most dangerous phase of the disease.

How to prevent dengue?

Here are a few simple and practical tips to keep dengue at bay:

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are known to bite humans during the day and their most common breeding grounds are manmade containers. Therefore, it is advisable to not have any stagnant water around. Remember to clean out empty flower pots and not to over water potted plants. If the container that contains water cannot be emptied, remember to cover it well when not in use.
A natural method to keep mosquitos at bay is to plant tulsi near your window. The plant has properties that do not allow mosquitoes to breed.
Using camphor as a repellent also works wonders. Light camphor in a room and close all the doors and windows. Leave it this way for about fifteen to twenty minutes to have a mosquito free environment.
Make sure your window and door screens do not have any holes. If so, block those areas properly to eliminate mosquitoes.
If someone at home is ill with dengue, try to not let the mosquitoes bite them or others in the house.
Always sleep under a mosquito net.
If you use a cooler remember to empty out and clean the water tray regularly, even when not in use.
Always cover your trash can when not in use.
A natural method to keep mosquitos at bay is to planttulsinear your window. The plant has properties that do not allow mosquitoes to breed.
Using camphor as a repellant also works wonders. Light camphor in a room and close all the doors and windows. Leave it this way for about fifteen to twenty minutes to have a mosquito free environment.

Dengue is a completely preventable condition; all you have to do is take a few steps to keep yourself and your family safe.

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