Dengue cases rise in UP's Gorakhpur; 194 infections reported so far

Several parts of Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district have reported an uptick in dengue cases.

Gorakhpur has reported 194 dengue cases so far this year, district malaria officer Dr Angad Kumar Singh said.

However, no death has been reported till now due to dengue, which is spread through the bite of infected aedes mosquitoes.

According to Dr Angad Kumar Singh, urban areas are the most affected by this vector-borne disease as 122 dengue cases have been found there. Most of the cases have been reported from Sheshpur and Ghasi Katra areas.

"The health department teams are visiting the areas affected by the disease. The health department has made an appeal to the people not to accumulate water in and around their homes and workplaces as aedes mosquitoes spread in clean water," said Dr Singh.

People are being told to clear water from coolers, broken utensils, unused tyres and so on.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Regional Medical Research Centre Gorakhpur (RMRC) and health department are carrying out joint operations to capture adult mosquitoes and larvae to study them to control dengue in future.

A senior scientist at ICMR-RMCR Dr Hiravati Deval said that study on dengue is being conducted by an ICMR team in Gorakhpur and other parts of Purvanchal since 2015 to check the type of virus active here.

A resident of Mirjapur area, Mahesh Kumar Sharma, said that his son had been suffering from dengue and later recovered. A health team visited his house and inspected the cooler, fridge and flower pots and advised him not to accumulate water in and around the house, he added.