The surge of dengue fever cases continue in Delhi as health officials report 430 cases during the first week of September, bringing the tally to 1,259 in the national capital. This includes two dengue-related fatalities.

Indian subcontinent/CIA
Indian subcontinent/CIA

This is a huge increase compared top recent years in Delhi when the number of cases from January 1 to September 5 since 2010 are as follows: 33 (2014), 255 (2013), 17 (2012), 104 (2011). For the same period in 2010, over 1,500 cases were reported.

On Friday, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) released a report showing DEN-2 (dengue strain type-two) — the more virulent of the four serotypes of dengue — is in circulation this year in the Capital along with DEN-4.

“This year DEN-2 is most predominant along with DEN-4, which we haven’t seen predominantly in Delhi. Usually when a person gets a particular strain of dengue he gets some immunity against it. This year we are seeing larger number of people coming in with DEN-2 infection,” said AIIMS Professor, Department of Microbiology, Lalit Dar.

“DEN-2 is the more virulent type of dengue and the symptoms are more severe. However, having said that it is important to tell the general public that dengue is completely treatable in 99 per cent cases and patients with symptoms should seek medical help immediately. This is no cause for worry,” he added.

The dengue situation in the city of 25 million people has also caused a problem with stocks of platelets for transfusion. Health officials are urging people not to panic, stating that platelet transfusion plays a limited role in the management of dengue fever and is not necessary in all cases.

According to the doctors at government hospitals, due to dengue scare people are rushing to hospitals to secure platelets as a result of which patients who really need blood transfusions are getting adversely affected.

Several patients who are critically ill and need blood transfusions, are affected due to this dengue scare because people are rushing to hospitals to secure platelets,” said doctors.

Robert Herriman is a microbiologist and the Editor-in-Chief ofOutbreak News Today and the Executive Editor of The Global Dispatch

Follow @bactiman63