CCpur grappling with rising Dengue cases

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 26 : Churachandpur district is grappling with rising cases of Dengue this season with as many as 3,713 suspected cases reportedly detected between October 1 and 20.
Even as these suspected cases "need further confirmation" through standard tests, the number of confirmed Dengue cases in the district could rise, said sources.
Though the number of suspected cases has touched the four-digit number, the State Directorate of Health Services, meanwhile, has logged only 106 confirmed Dengue cases in Chura-chandpur.
This official number of cases logged by the Directorate, however, is significantly lower than what was reported by the district's Deputy Commissioner and top officials of the District Hospital in mid October.
Addressing the media on October 21, the Chura-chandpur Deputy Commi- ssioner Krishna Kumar had said that the District Hospital alone had detected 910 cases of Dengue from April 1 to October 21.
The media briefing was attended by Chief Medical Officer Dr Henkhoneng Mate and District Hospital Medical Superintendent Sania Monica.
The Medical Superintendent had then said that 4 of 9 deaths at the hospital had been confirmed as Dengue cases.
The officials, briefing the press, had also stressed that the majority of the cases have recovered, recording a recovery rate of 99.67 percent.
Notably, the 3,713 suspected cases,  reported from across different healthcare centres and institutions in the district, include the 910 cases detected in the District Hospital.
A highly reliable source which has shared the number said that the 3,713 suspected dengue cases in the district were detected through Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) during October 1 to 20.
Corroborating the report of the District Hospital officials, the source said that while nine persons died, four of the cases were later confirmed as Dengue cases through ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test.
The causes of the deaths of the five other cases have not been ascertained yet, the source added.
Meanwhile, on the differences in the number of cases logged by the District Hospital Churachandpur and the Directorate of Health Services, sources familiar with the disease speculate that the number of cases (106) logged by the latter (DHS) must be those which have been confirmed as dengue through standard tests.
Cases detected through Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) are not counted as confirmed cases. Such cases need further confirmation through tests such as ELISA,  IgM Antibody Test and IgG Antibody Test etc, said the sources familiar with dengue control programmes.
"The number of 'suspected cases' detected through Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Churachandpur is very high according to reports. Considering the large size of suspected cases detected, the number of confirmed cases may rise if standard tests of the cases are conducted," said one of the sources.
However, the number of confirmed cases is expected to be lower than the reported number of suspected cases detected through Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), added the source.
On 4 cases of deaths confirmed as dengue, sources in the Directorate of Health Services said that the directorate has not received any official case report, investigation and test report regarding the cases.
In such [death] cases, reports of investigation and tests are sent to the directorate for record. In absence of such reports, the directorate can't record the cases and publish it on its portal, said the sources.
Nonetheless, the actual number of dengue cases is expected to rise if the suspected tests are diagnosed with standard tests, added the sources.
To control rising dengue cases, the directorate, relevant authorities and the public must implement appropriate measures to control and prevent vector borne diseases. There is a need for greater awareness among the public. While fumigation is needed, the public must be encouraged to clear standing water near their surroundings and use mosquito nets and minimise exposed skin to prevent mosquito bites, said the sources.