36 test positive for dengue in Uttarakhand

"One person has tested positive for the virus here while 35 cases have been confirmed in Haridwar district. However, we are trying our best to control further spread of the virus by providing immediate medical assistance to the affected persons," State Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi said.

Majority of the patients have been admitted in the Himalayan Hospital, Jollygrant and the CMI hospital in the city.

The Chief Medical Officers in the affected districts have been put on the alert and asked to take preventive measures like cleaning up the drains, intensifying fogging and creating awareness among people about the importance of maintaining hygiene, he said.

"They have also been asked to send a daily report to me on the measures taken such as the areas visited, the steps taken to prevent further occurrence of the disease and number of people diagnosed with symptoms of dengue," he said.

Around 150 suspected cases of dengue had been reported from Haridwar and Roorkee in that district last week out of which 35 have been confirmed as positive.

However, the minister asked people not to panic and instead think of the preventive measures they could take at their own level to combat the virus.