Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Aug 22: Dengue cases are on the rise in Jammu & Kashmir with 144 cases reported this year so far in the Union Territory.
The State Surveillance Officer, Dr Harjeet Rai said that this year, 144 cases of dengue have been reported in J&K.
He said dengue cases are projected to surge post-monsoon and advised people to take “preemptive” measures to combat the painful mosquito-borne disease in the absence of any vaccine.
The said dengue caused by viruses carried by infected mosquitoes has always been a health concern and people need to take precautions to protect themselves from falling prey to the virus, he said.
Meanwhile, the doctors have advised the people to use mosquito repellents and wear full sleeves shirts so as to save themselves from mosquito bites, which they said choose to breed in stagnant water accumulated by water logging mainly during monsoon.
They said the mosquitoes that spread dengue are active during the day. “Cover as much of your body as possible and use mosquito nets if sleeping during the day and spray the nets with insect repellents,” they said.
The most common symptoms, as per doctors, are fever and headache, eye pain (typically behind the eyes), muscle, joint or bone pain, rash, nausea and vomiting.
If anyone has stomach or belly pain, tenderness, vomiting (at least 3 times in 24 hours), bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood, or blood in the stool and feeling tired, restless, or irritable, you must consult a doctor, the advisory mentions.
The mosquito remains active mostly at dusk and dawn and people must wear clothes that minimise skin exposure to these mosquitoes, they said.
Meanwhile, the officials said that 8,269 dengue cases (the highest number) and 18 deaths were reported in J&K last year.
They said two cases were in 2009, none in 2010, three in 2011, and 16 in 2012. However, 1,837 cases were reported in 2013.
In 2014, four cases were reported, 153 in 2015, 79 in 2016, 488 in 2017, 214 in 2018, 439 in 2019, 53 in 2020, and 1,709 in 2021, they said.
