Manipur Health Minister Sapam Ranjan Singh on Friday said that the state health department has recorded a total of 385 dengue positive cases till Thursday. Among the total cases, Tengnoupal district recorded the highest number of positive cases with 199 positive cases, Imphal East district with 42 cases, Churachandpur district with 38 cases and Imphal West with 36 positive cases, the minister said.
Addressing the media at his Lamphel residence, the health minister said that three persons have so far died due to dengue infection, one each from the districts of Churachandpur, Tengnoupal and Bishnupur.
Despite initiatives taken by the government to avoid spread of dengue cases, each individual should take initiatives by avoiding stagnant water in the house as precautionary measures, Minister Ranjan said
He said that at present Sanjenbam, Sougaijam Leirak and Kanglatongbi of Imphal West districts have been considered a hotspot of dengue infection.
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The minister said the government has been taking various initiatives to prevent the spread of the disease by fogging and by spreading awareness to the public in various areas of the state. He said dedicated teams of state health departments are also deployed to spread awareness from door to door.
Ranjan said dengue virus is spread to the people by the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes. In Manipur dengue cases start from the month of June and continue till late November or December. The infected Aedes mosquito is a day biting mosquito and with the initiatives of the public the spread of the virus could be prevented. He appealed that people should avoid keeping stagnant water at home even for the stored water for household use, the water should be replaced for at least every week.
The highest number of dengue cases was recorded in 2019 with a total of 359 cases, he added.
Minister said people need not to panic as dengue can be prevented with simple preventive measures.
Directorate of health services and state health society, NVBDCP, Manipur has been spreading pamphlets where it is written that Dengue and Chikungunya are viral diseases caused by the bite of infected female Aedes mosquito. PRak biting time is dawn to dusk.
Symptoms are high fever, headache, severe pain behind eyes, muscle pain, joint pain and rash. In severe cases, bleeding in the nose and gum may happen.
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There is no specific treatment of dengue and chikungunya diseases. Paracetamol is preferable for fever management. Avoid aspirin, brufen, etc. In case of suspected dengue and chikungunya patients must consult a doctor, the minister advised.
Facility for confirmatory tests is available free of cost at Microbiology department, RIMS and JNIMS.
For preventive measures one should wear full sleeves and long dresses to cover as much of the body as possible; use repellents, mosquito coils, electric vapour mats during the daytime also to prevent from the diseases as Aedes mosquitoes bite during day time; use mosquito nets to protect children, elderly and others who may rest during the day.
Discard or destroy unused tyres, broken bottles and flower vase, plastic bucket, plastic jerry can, unused earthen pots, water storage drums and others, he advised, adding that one must cover water storage containers and change uncovered stored water on a weekly basis.
Directorate of health services and state health society, NVBDCP, Manipur has also provided helpline number 0385-2410009 which will be available from 9.30 am to 5 pm.
