BANGALORE: The doctors at hospitals across the city may heave a sigh of relief as the number of dengue cases has come down considerably this year. However, they are concerned with the ‘severity’ of the cases reported so far. Doctors at the Pediatrics Department at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital maintained that the number of patients suffering from dengue fever is less but the severity of the cases is more than that of last year. According to the Health Department estimates, this year, till October 13, there are 278 confirmed cases of dengue reported across the state while last year it had crossed over 2,000 by October. “Last year, mostly all the cases were easily treated after a few days of admission, but this year, the cases are ‘severe’ as the patients have developed resistance to medicine,” said a doctor in the Department of Pediatrics, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital which is treating five to six dengue cases in a day. Even five to six patients with dengue fever are undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital.Attributing it to be the secondary type of dengue fever, Dr V Ravi, Head of Neuro-Virology Department, NIMHANS, reiterated that there are four types of dengue viruses-Dengue 1, 2, 3 and 4. In type 1 dengue fever, a person will have mild fever and recovers following appropriate treatment.However, in the type 2, those who have suffered dengue fever last year will show severe resistance this year. Persons may suffer from, brain hemorrhage, stroke and severe body ache. This year it could be the large of secondary type cases which are severe in nature.Dr Chaluvaraj, Joint Director, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare said, “While last year, there were only eight labs but this year we have 17 functional labs across the state. We are also in the process of procuring rapid test kits so that it can be identified at the primary health centre itself.”
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