All the 15 districts of Nagaland detected dengue except for Noklak district, Dr Vezokhulu Theyo, Joint Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare, said today during a press conference at the Directorate of H&FW in Kohima.
Dr Theyo said that besides creating awareness of the current outbreak of the viral disease, entomological surveys, case investigations, source reduction campaigns, house to house visits to reduce source of vectors have been actively carried out in the state. He pointed that rapid urbanisation, conducive environment, climate change and the recent floods that occurred in Dimapur and other low lying areas of the state were some of the major factors that facilitated and elevated dengue in Nagaland.
The Joint Director of Health Department also informed that there are various types of dengue- mild dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever which is more virulent. “As per the records of the Health & Family Welfare, we are not seeing a virulent type because we are correlating it clinically,” he stated.
He presented the yearly data of dengue cases in the state- 85 sample test with 25 positive case in 2009, 23 sample test with 0 positive case in 2010, 8 sample test with 3 positive in 2011, 18 sample test with 0 positive in 2012, 5 sample test with 0 positive in 2014, 126 sample test with 21 positive and 1 mortality case in 2015, 769 sample test with 139 positive in 2016, 1309 sample test with 357 positive in 2017, 2009 sample test with 374 positive in 2018, 131 sample test with 6 positive in 2019, 10 sample test with 1 positive in 2020, 126 sample test with 24 positive in 2021, 869 sample test with 154 positive in 2022 and 8107 sample test with 2899 positive and 1 death in 2023 (the deceased had comorbidity). Pointing to the cyclical pattern in dengue cases, Dr Theyo said that the pattern is quite similar with the rest of the country.
He further appealed the community to come forth and participate in mitigating and eliminating the viral disease by keeping the surroundings clean and reducing the sources. Emphasising on the importance of source reduction he said that stagnant water can be the reservoir for the dengue mosquito to lay eggs.
“Unless we reduce the source, the dengue mosquito will keep coming” he added
Dr Theyo assured that there was nothing to panic as “we have overcome a pandemic together and we shall overcome this as well by participating together.” He further said the department was “constantly monitoring and surveillance is going hand in hand”.
He also informed about the blood donations camps taking place in the and said “many people are really coming forward to give blood donation”.
Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play
Addressing the press conference, Dr E Motsuthung Patton, Managing Director, National Health Mission, Nagaland, said that Nagaland is not the only state that is experiencing an outbreak of the dengue virus but the rest of country was also experiencing soaring cases of the viral disease
He informed that the first case was detected in Mishikito Village, Dimapur on 15 June 2023 and it continued to spread to other parts of the state. He also informed that the entomological team swiftly carried out case investigations.
State program Officer National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme Dr Tinurenla said, Government of India does not record the dengue cases tested positive through Rapid test (RTD) because RTD test produce many false cases. She said, “as per the vector borne programme we have to report only positive cases which are confirmed through Elisa test”
“Even if you get positive in RTD test we have to do confirmatory test through Elisa” she added
Dr Tinurenla also called the community to actively participate in preventing the viral disease by maintaining the surroundings and removing standing waters to reduce mosquito habitat as it thrives in stagnant waters containing tires, tress, flower pots and other containers etc. as the dengue combat requires community participation.
Read more: NPCC slams Nagaland Government’s poor strategy in tackling dengue outbreak in Mon district
On the dengue situation in Mon district, Dr Mereninla, SPO, NHM informed that Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjum (KBBB) has donated Rs 5 lakh for the welfare of the people to make the test free of which Rs 4 lakh have been allocated to District Hospital Mon while Rs one lakh has been given to Rapha Hospital.
As per the report of 26 October 2023, dengue cases in the state are: Dimapur (1398), Kiphire (59), Kohima (141), Longleng (17), Mokokchung (46), Mon (933), Peren (47), Phek (23), Tuensang (1), Wokha (197), Zunheboto (6) and others (Assam) (31), totalling 2899 positive cases.
