West Bengal Reports 7,000 Dengue Cases, 7 Deaths in Last Week

Dengue is rapidly spreading in West Bengal with seven death reported in Kolkata and adjoining areas in the last week. According to sources, the total number of deaths due to dengue in the state is around 45 though the state government hasn’t provided the official death count.

It is feared that the total number of infections will reach 45,000 within a few days. According to health department sources, dengue cases are being reported in North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Siliguri and Murshidabad apart from the state capital.

The outbreak this year is the highest in the last five-six years. In the past week, more than 3,000 dengue patients were hospitalised with several of them in critical condition. Doctors have said that the number of deaths among young people is relatively high this year.

An average of 1,000 people were infected daily in the last week, the Indian Express reported. Out of the total 6,680 cases recorded in the last seven days, 990 and 1,094 were on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

According to sources, the total number of deaths in Kolkata, Baranagar, Bidhannagar has exceeded 20. At least, 10 people died of dengue in Siliguri and 15 people in Howrah, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Murshidabad.

In several wards in Kolkata, dengue has been reported in almost every house. Although the infection started in ward number 101, 109, 112, 114 and 121 of Kolkata Municipality, dengue has been reported from almost every ward.

According to state government statistics, the number of infections registered in the state in the first 26 weeks of 2019 was 1,037. In 2020 and 2021, the number was 619 and 273, respectively. The number reached 1,751 in the first 26 weeks of this year.

Several doctors alleged that the “indifference” of municipal corporations and municipalities is the primary reason for the rise in dengue cases and the outbreak could have been prevented if the administration was active. The health administration has expressed displeasure against TMC councillors for their lack of initiative in keeping their areas clean.

Doctors said that late treatment or sudden deterioration in the patient’s condition are leading to quick deaths. Besides, several patients, especially in Siliguri, are unable to get beds due to overcrowding. Besides, many people are not able to get dengue tests done at government health centres due to a lack of infrastructure while private hospitals are expensive.

According to data from the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control, the total number of registered infections in West Bengal in 2017 was 37,746 with 46 deaths. West Bengal was at the top in the number of infections. No data is available for 2018 and 2019. The number of infections registered was 5,166 in 2020 and 8,264 in 2021. According to official statistics, there were no dengue deaths in the state in 2020 and seven in 2021. However, the number of dengue cases and deaths in the state is believed to be much higher.