SRINAGAR: In a clear departure from earlier records, the Jammu region is witnessing a huge load of Dengue fever cases. So far 836 cases have been recorded mark the Jammu city topping the list.
So far four people with dengue fever have died. The disease is like Covid19 as far as the treatment goes. There is no formal medication for fever management.
Reports appearing in the media said that 505 cases were reported from Jammu city alone followed by 123 cases from Kathua and 60 cases from Samba.
Reports said the fever is spreading within the families in many congested localities.
The dengue crisis comes on the heels of the slow recovery from Covid19. Jammu region witnessed a case load of 124323 cases of Covid19 across 10 districts of whom 2176 died. Jammu city lost 1124 people to Covid, the highest in 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
This is the second instance in recent years when dengue fever has returned to Jammu. The last time, it was in 2014 when hoards of people with high fever were reported to the hospitals.
Authorities are on tenterhooks to manage the outbreak of the mosquito-borne infection. All hospitals in the Ramnagar, Chenani and Udhampur are taking the fever infected patients as the SMGS hospital in Jammu continues to admit the maximum load. All these hospitals have set up separate wards to manage the infection.
The arrival of the dengue after the devastating Covid19 infections has triggered panic. The disease has appeared in most of the localities where the stagnant waters are around.
Now municipal and health officials are requesting people to keep the surroundings clean and cover all utensils carrying water. They are being told to properly wear the clothes as the dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes bite only during the day.
There is no specific medicine for dengue treatment other than Paracetamol. The symptoms of the infection include sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin rash and mild bleeding through the nose and gums.
