July Surge Puts Odisha On US-CDC' s Dengue Map!

When the thick tail of Covid-19 still keeps the cases up in the Capital City, another deadly virus seems to be on the prowl. As the cases of Dengue are on the rise in Odisha, the State Capital alone bears almost half of over 225 cases detected to date.

What has worried the State Public Health department is, the dengue cases in Bhubaneswar has grown by nearly 3000 per cent in July. Such an explosive growth of a viral disease hint at the looming epidemic threat over the City, feel ICMR microbiologists.

Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Are Dengue Hubs

As per an ICMR study during the period of 2010-19, though the cases of the viral disease had been reported from all the districts, the hub has been the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. And sticking to its dubious credentials, the State Capital is now shouldering almost half of the dengue cases in the State.

The ICMR study shows a district-wise outbreak of dengue during the period of 2010-19 (see the image given below).

Dengue In Odisha

Dengue outbreak happened in Odisha for the first time in 2010. Odisha figured as the top -4 dengue hit states in the year 2016. This had been the worst year as the State had recorded the highest of around 8,380 cases and 11 deaths. Whereas, the year 2020 had recorded the lowest dengue cases (496) and nil deaths in the State.

However, the situation in 2021 looks completely different. The news of the sudden surge in dengue cases in the month of July in Odisha has earned the State a dubious distinction as it went on to figure in the US-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) dengue map for South Asia. (see the main image).

Dengue Situation In India

The data available with National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme shows that a total of over 7200 dengue cases throughout the country to date.

Except for Chhattisgarh, now all the Covid-19 hotspot states in the country have turned the Dengue hotspots too. Sample the states below.

• Tamil Nadu has the highest cases in the country
• Kerala second
• Karnataka
• Rajasthan
• Maharashtra
• Andhra Pradesh

Delhi is not on the list because the monsoon has covered the national capital only recently. Moreover, the infection period in Delhi has been from August - October.

Despite having fewer cases, Odisha has made it onto the CDC map because the spurt of cases in July in Bhubaneswar has been over 3600 per cent.

This Virus Catching Them Young

 According to the ICMR study, the mean age of the suspected cases for dengue was 30.3 years (95% CI 29.5–31.1). Also, the study found that males were more commonly affected than females.

The study observed, "According to studies in Odisha, the most common age group affected by dengue infection is 11– 20 years. In contrast, other studies in India have reported that the mean age group for dengue infection is 22 years."

Moreover, it has been mentioned that peak dengue time in Odisha is July and September.

Dengue Symptoms

1. Abrupt onset of high fever
2. Severe frontal headache
3. Pain behind the eyes and worsens with eye movement
4. Muscle and joint pains
5. Loss of sense of taste and appetite
6. A measles-like rash over the chest and upper limbs
7. Nausea and vomiting

How To Differentiate From COVID19?

Symptom number 3 is specific to dengue only. If one has this symptom, then go for the Dengue test at the earliest.