Best Lawyers in Chandigarh Ludhiana district worst hit by dengue this year

Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, November 29

With dengue striking the state for the third consecutive year, as many as 8,956 cases have been reported so far this year. There has been a decline in the number of cases as compared to the previous two years, but experts said the count was still alarming.

Health experts apprehended that Punjab had become one of the worst dengue-affected states in the country because it was among the few states where all four dengue strains — DENV-1 to DENV-4 — were present. Experts explained that once all four dengue strains penetrated the community, it takes three to four years to develop herd immunity against all four strains which would bring down the number of cases. In effect, it takes four to five years for dengue larvae to get terminated, say experts.

Notably, Patiala, which was among the worst-affected districts in the state for the last three years, has witnessed a 92 per cent decline in the cases this year.

Ludhiana, which had only 411 cases last year, is the worst-affected district this year, with 1,286 cases. Gurdaspur follows with 738 cases this year. It had just 178 cases in 2018.

Dr Gagandeep Grover, state nodal officer, dengue control programme, said they had been able to control the dengue outbreak and cases had already started to decline.

“There is a decline in the number of cases but we need to be cautious as the day temperature is still ideal for dengue breeding. Overall, our extensive awareness programmes have been able to bring down the numbers. Apart from three to four districts, all have witnessed a decline in cases,” he added.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said they had been able to bring down the numbers by 30-35 per cent as compared to the previous year.

He said, “Our continuous efforts have already resulted in a decline in the count. But if we get 100 per cent support from all stakeholders, including the Municipal Corporation and the Rural Development Department, we will be able to bring down the numbers – sharply.”

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