First case of Dengue death in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The first dengue death of the Capital was reported on Saturday as a 22-year-old man succumbed to the disease at Maharaja Agrasen Hosptial in Punjabi Bagh. He was a resident of Narela.

‘‘A 22-year-old man died due to dengue at Maharaja Agrasen Hospital on Saturday. This is the first dengue death to be reported this year from the Capital,’’ said MCD health officer N K Yadav.

Yadav said this year, the number of cases being reported are much less than what had been reported by this time last year. In 2006, the first dengue death had occurred as early as August 19 at AIIMS.

Last year, by October 14, 28 dengue deaths had been reported in the Capital. This number steadily rose to 42 by October 20, which by the end of the month, had further risen to 58. ‘‘On an average, eight to 15 cases come in everyday. This is still negligent compared to the number of cases which were reported last year during this time. The total number of dengue cases reported so far is 197,’’ added Yadav.

While, eight new dengue cases were reported on Saturday, last year on October 13, 77 fresh cases had been reported. In 2006, by this day, a total of 843 new cases of dengue had been reported, more than four times of 197 reported this year.

The most obvious symptoms of the disease are fever, followed by joint pain and backache. In later stages there might also be bleeding from the gums and rashes accompanied with low blood pressure which can also push one into a coma. This is called dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) which can prove to be fatal say doctors.

Avoiding water from accumulating and keeping water meant for storage covered are the best precautions as even a cap full can provide breeding ground for as many as 250 eggs. Using mosquito repellents and creams and wearing full sleeve clothes can go a long way in preventing the disease.

However, doctors say there is no need to panic. If you feel you have dengue-like symptoms, a platelet count is the easiest way to find out since it drops in case of dengue.