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New Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the dengue outbreak and public health preparedness. Nadda urged states with a high number of dengue cases to take proactive measures to control the disease. Bengaluru, one of the worst-affected cities in India, has recorded 2,118 cases and 1 death since January.
After briefing on the nationwide dengue situation and preparedness, Nadda also directed officials to enhance prevention, control and management efforts against dengue.
Dengue cases
According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), India has reported over 19,447 dengue cases and 16 deaths by 2024. According to the Ministry of Health, the case fatality rate for dengue is to be reduced from 3.3% in 1996 to 0.1% in 2024.
There are four types of dengue virus: DENV-1, which causes typical dengue fever, DENV-2, which causes hemorrhagic fever with shock, DENV-3, which causes fever without shock, and DENV-4, which causes patients to experience fever with or without shock.
Inter-ministerial cooperation
Nadda stressed the need for inter-ministerial collaboration involving the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Ministry of Education, Municipal Corporations and local governments to clarify their role in dengue prevention and control.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is collaborating with domestic pharmaceutical companies to develop a dengue vaccine.
India is also facing an outbreak of Zika virus in some states, with Aedes mosquitoes carrying both Zika and dengue viruses. Eight Zika cases have been reported in Maharashtra: six in Pune, one in Kolhapur and one in Sangamner.
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