DEHRADUN: Twenty three more people were tested to be positive for dengue on Wednesday in Pathribagh, taking the total number of such cases to a staggering 64.
The tests were conducted during a camp organized by the health department, which started earlier this week. The samples which test positive in RAPID tests are sent for Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) tests. The number of such cases is set to soar as the heath department took another 87 samples on Wednesday.
"We collected close to 87 samples on Wednesday. The density of larvae seems to be very high in that area due to which we are suspecting more positive cases." said CMO of Dehradun, Dr. YS Thapliyal. A separate dengue cell, along with a helpline number, was made available at the Doon hospital.
Meanwhile, the rising dengue cases have shifted the focus of nagar nigam to aggressive fogging and proper waste disposal in the city. Talking to TOI, Dr Kailash Gunjyal, health officer, nagar nigam, said, "Since the outbreak we have been focusing more on Kargi and Pathribagh by using the method of fogging which is more effective against dengue. However, this method only kills mosquitoes in the open and not those lurking inside houses. We have advised people to use mosquito repellents inside their homes."
Residents, however, said that the nigam authorities should have taken action sooner. Alok Kumar from Kargi said, "The nigam workers have been fogging here since the past week but we had been complaining about the mosquitoes to the officials since the past month. No notice was taken at that time."
Ahead of the monsoon, the nigam had carried out cleanliness drives in Gandhi Park, Paltan Bazaar and other areas of the city. While disinfectants had been sprayed in the entire city but they were only active against diseases like malaria and common fever, a nigam official said.
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