Dengue cases on rise in Agra: 17 kids among 21 die in 3 weeks

AGRA: At least 21 patients, including 17 children, died of viral fever and dengue-like symptoms in Agra district in the last three weeks. According to the district health department officials, one patient died of dengue while 20 succumbed to “viral fever”.
In the last one month, 129 cases of dengue were reported from the district. Bah, Pinahat, Fatehpur Sikri in Agra rural, Tedi Bagia under Itmad-ud-Daulah police station and Etmadpur are among the worst affected.
"In Agra district, one death was due to dengue and 20 others of viral fever.Most of them were children," said Arun Kumar Srivastav, chief medical officer of Agra district.
A 70-year-old woman from Barhan in Etmadpur Tehsil of Agra rural died due to dengue, said district surveillance officer Dhruv Kumar. He added that 51 active cases of dengue are being treated at government hospitals.
A resident of Modipura village under Pinahat block, Virendra Singh, said, “Every house in our village has a family member suffering from viral fever and dengue symptoms. The community health centre is not admitting patients. The district hospital and SN Medical College is over 60 km away from the village. Patients are suffering at home.”
The CMO said, “Health department teams are conducting door-to-door surveys in the rural areas to identify patients with viral fever and help them in getting the required treatment. Medical camps are present in the affected areas. Cleanliness work and anti-larvae spraying is being done in the villages.”
Meanwhile, at least three more patients died of viral fever in the last 24 hours in Firozabad district. Besides, two died in Etah while one each in Kasganj and Mainpuri. In the last one week, deaths due to viral fever and dengue-like symptoms have also been reported in Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Meerut, Bareilly and some districts of eastern UP.
According to the health officials, so far, more than 4,500 cases of dengue have been reported in Agra division. Of these, most of them were in Firozabad district. A few cases of malaria and scrub typhus have also been reported. Diarrhoea has emerged as a new threat to children in some western UP districts.