Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Nov 5: Intermittent rains have caused sudden increase of dengue cases in Karnataka. According to the health department more than 7,000 people are affected with Dengue in just eight months, while four have succumbed.

Except 2017 and 2019, this year has reported the highest cases in the past six year period. Bengaluru city reported 1,300 cases, while Mysuru had 700, Udupi 505, Chitradurga 356 and Dakshina Kannada had 330 cases in the last week of October. Out of the four people who have died two are from Udupi while Vijayapura and Chikkaballapur have reported one death each.

Senior officials of the health department say that inclement weather is the culprit for the rise in virus and dengue fevers. It is taking awareness campaigns to the doorstep of people.

In 2016, 6,083 cases of dengue reported with eight deaths, in 2017, 17,844 cases were recorded with 10 deaths, in 2018, 4,848 cases and four deaths, in 2019, 18,183 cases and 17 deaths, in 2020, 3,823 cases with five deaths while in 2021, 7,393 cases were reported and seven people died.

In 2022, from January to September 6,895 cases were reported with four deaths. Till May, the cases were around 2,000. After July, the cases have skyrocketed. That too in the months of August and September there is a threefold increase. According to health department information 65,200 people are tested for blood samples.

Positivity rate of dengue cases is well within control as per the health department. In 2017, the positivity rate was 20.80%, in 2018, 14.93%, 2019, 19.88%, 2020, 17.45%, in 2021, 14.35% while in 2022, 11.30% is reported so far. According to health department officials, compared to pre-Covid period, the positivity rate is well under control.