Dengue cases soar to 1,005 in Odisha

The number of people infected with dengue has soared to 1,005 in Odisha this year, with 36 more cases reported in the state in two days, an official said here Sunday.

"Thirty-six people have tested positive (for dengue) in the past two days. Ninety percent of them belong to the coastal Jajpur district," M.M. Pradhan, joint director of the state health department, told IANS.

The death toll due to dengue, however, remained at two, he said.

While most of those infected with dengue received treatment at their homes and were cured, 122 people were currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals, he said.

Trained volunteers and health department officials have been put into service to carry out awareness campaigns in affected areas.

This year, the government had taken preventive measures. The number of deaths have declined compared to last year, Pradhan said.

Last year around this time, 2,870 people had tested positive for dengue in the state. The death toll due to the disease at that time was five, he added.