Kolkata: Dengue patients double in two weeks, 21,000 cases since October 24

KOLKATA: The number of people affected by dengue across the state has almost doubled over the past fortnight, according to figures released at a health department review meeting on Saturday. According to the last review meeting held on October 24, as many as 23,000 had been affected by the disease till then. The figure now stands at 44,000.
While this indicates a quick spread of the disease, the health department has identified new areas, including several in Kolkata, as dengue-prone.Two persons died of the disease in the city last week.
The new areas identified as dengue-prone include several places in North and South 24 Parganas, apart from Tiljala, Picnic Garden, Parnasree, Santoshpur, Survey Park and Jadavpur in Kolkata.
A health department team is set to visit the spots and state hospitals to check whether proper measures and treatment are being provided to prevent and treat the disease. The team will also suggest steps to improve the anti-dengue drive.
The sharp rise in the number of dengue patients has left doctors worried. Till September, Kolkata had had no reported dengue-related death. “This late surge is worrying. Since the peak dengue season is gone, people are bound to let their guards down. But the deaths prove that the virus still exists and is now being transmitted at a faster rate,” said a doctor at a private hospital.
A 24-year-old Tangra resident succumbed to dengue last Thursday, while a 28-year-old constable — who had given birth to a girl on October 27 — died of dengue at a private hospital on Wednesday.