Tamil Nadu: As Dengue Cases Surge To 4,000, Health Dept Intensifies Prevention Efforts

The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has issued guidelines for Dengue control and prevention instructing district health officials to conduct surveys for Aedes larvae.

The Tamil Nadu Health Department has launched urgent measures to combat the rising number of Dengue cases in the state. Concerns have been raised as over 4,000 cases of Dengue fever have been reported even before the onset of the monsoon season. The incidence of Dengue cases is on the rise in districts including Theni, Namakkal, Tiruvannamalai, Ariyalur, Dindigul, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Coimbatore, and Thanjavur.

According to statistics, Dengue cases typically decrease during the peak summer months of May and June, but they tend to rise in August and September with the onset of the rainy season.

The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has issued guidelines for Dengue control and prevention, instructing district health officials to conduct surveys for Aedes larvae and monitor vector density.

Surveys will be conducted at various levels including village panchayats, town panchayats, municipalities, and corporation wards to prevent disease outbreaks.

Furthermore, the health department is organizing mass cleaning and chlorination drives to eliminate breeding sites for Aedes mosquitoes, as per a report on IANS.

As per the health department's data, the state recorded 136 cases of Dengue up to May 16 this year. In January 2024, there was a significant surge in Dengue cases, with the state reporting over 1,200 cases.

However, in comparison to 2023, the mortality rate is lower this year.

In 2023, Tamil Nadu reported 8,953 Dengue cases, resulting in 10 fatalities. Yet, from 2024 until May, 4,000 cases have been reported, with one death recorded in January.

Meanwhile, a total of 172 dengue cases were reported in Bengaluru between May 1 and 13 prompting the civic body to be on high alert. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) announced that it has already taken action to prevent the further spread of the virus. The sudden spike in the cases was attributed to the showers and subsequent waterlogging in parts of the city.