Island-wide dengue cases reach 58,834

November 18, 2024

political Current Affairs

Island-wide dengue cases reach 58,834 ^Featured

October 28, 2019

Fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-four dengue cases—and around 80 dengue deaths—have been reported in the country by last Friday. During last year, only 58 dengue deaths had been reported in the country, the Epidemiology Unit said yesterday.According to the unit’s sources, 80 dengue deaths during a period of only 10 months is a cause for concern. Therefore, the public should be vigilant about mosquito breeding grounds and destroy them on a regular basis. At least 30 minutes per week should be allocated to clean such sites, they added.

Epidemiology Unit sources said that the highest number of dengue cases reported in the island so far this year, 27,775, has been from the Western Province. Furthermore, with the prevailing rainy conditions, the Epidemiology Unit has identified five high-risk districts; they are Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Ratnapura, and Galle.The second highest number of dengue cases has been reported from the Gampaha District, and it stands at 9,572. The third highest number of dengue patients, 5,762, has been reported from the Kalutara District. The month with the highest number of dengue patients recorded was August. Nine thousand four hundred and fifty-nine cases were reported during that month.

Meanwhile, medical experts advise pregnant mothers to get admitted to hospital on the first day of fever—and that the public should seek medical treatment for any type of fever without delay, and without using home remedies.All fever patients need rest; they should not attend work or school and should take only Paracetamol. Patients should avoid non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac Sodium, Mefenamic Acid etc; as well as steroids such as Prednisolone, Methyl-Prednisolone, and Dexamethasone. Taking these drugs could cause Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), which can be fatal, they added.