South India dengue emergency: Telangana reports 6,242 cases; Karnataka declares epidemic

Hyderabad: Telangana has reported 6,242 dengue cases this year so far. Of which 1,783 were detected in the last week of August. There were 1,06,356 tests done, with a positivity rate of 6% as per the statement of the Telangana Health Minister.

The government has claimed that the dengue impact is less than that of the last year, but the opposition has blamed the government for incompetence in containing the spread.

The health department has announced a dry day in educational institutions, residence areas, and common places to eliminate breeding places.

The burden of the entomology department, lack of manpower, and reluctance of people to permit workers to homes to check mosquito breeding are cited as the conditions that hamper the efforts of the government.

Malaria and dengue cases in Andhra Pradesh

Contrary to other southern states, Andhra had reported more malaria cases than dengue during June, July, and August.

As per the data published by the National Center for Vector-borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), the state has recorded 1,836 dengue cases till 30 June 2024. However, as per the director of health of the government of Andhra Pradesh, the total dengue case during the first week of August was around 2,000.

The number of dengue cases was very high in 2023, with 6,453 cases, though no deaths were declared by the health department.

Karnataka declares epidemic

Karnataka government has declared the dengue outbreak as an epidemic after 12 people died and cases hit 25,000. It is for the first time that dengue cases have crossed 25000. The number of cases under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was 11,590 as of September 2.

The notification will ensure powers to authorities to levy penalties for residences, commercial spaces, restaurants, shops, and vendors who violate the guidelines and fail to prevent mosquito breeding in their premises.

As per the bimonthly (August 16 to September 1) epidemiological update by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of dengue cases in Karnataka and Kerala continues to increase.

Caseload increasing in Karnataka and BBMP

Contrary to the previous years, the number of dengue cases across Karnataka and specifically in the BBMP region, resulted in the government announcing the spread as an epidemic. In 2023, the total number of dengue cases in the state was 19,300, while the same number of cases were reported by August 3, 2024. Further, more than 15,000 cases have been identified in the last month and a half.

The minister for health and family welfare in the government of Karnataka, Dinesh Gundu Rao shared the notification and urged the public to cooperate in containing the spread of dengue. The provision penalizes the individuals and establishments that fail to ensure cleanliness in the surroundings and frequent inspections from the concerned authorities.

Monsoon induces more cases in Kerala

The southwest monsoon is continuously bringing severe rains across Kerala, leading to an increase in the number of dengue cases. The state has reported close to 14,000 dengue cases by the end of August.

As per the daily report on communicable diseases published on September 1 by the Directorate of Health Services, the number of confirmed dengue cases stands at 15,056 in 2024 with 58 deaths. Similar to Karnataka, the number of dengue cases in Kerala has already surpassed the total cases in the previous year in the same period.

Caseload increasing in Tamil Nadu

With the monsoon battering different parts of the state, including the districts along the western ghats, the number of dengue cases is on the rise.

As per the data published by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of cases has touched 11,538, with 4 deaths in the first eight months of 2024. The number of cases has crossed the 10,000 mark after 6 years.

With the northeast monsoon expected to arrive in November by the beginning of November, different departments including health, municipal administration, and rural development have geared up the cleaning exercises to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

The lack of a sufficient number of domestic breeding checkers (DBC) across the different local bodies hamper the anti-breeding exercises including fogging, spraying medicines, and creating awareness.