Dengue Spreads In Odisha’s Ganjam; 133 Positive Cases Registered So Far

Berhampur: The number of dengue patients is steadily rising in Odisha’s Ganjam district with almost all blocks coming under its grip.

According to Health department sources, total dengue positive cases have gone up to 133 in the district so far this year. As many as 56 of them belong to outside districts and other states.

Patrapur block bordering Andhra Pradesh is the worst affected as it has registered highest 30 dengue patients in the district. Most of these patients belong to Patrapur, Balarampur, Turbudi and Mandarada villages, the sources said.

Even as experts blame stagnant water and poor sanitation for spread of the vector-born disease, the locals alleged that adequate remedial measures are not taken to prevent breeding of mosquitoes mostly in urban areas including Berhampur city.

A social activist of the city, Rabindra Kumar Mishra, had filed a petition with National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking its intervention to prevent the spread of dengue. The NHRC had also directed the district collector to take necessary steps in this regard. But there has been no let-up in the spread of the disease, he said.

As per the Health department data, Ganjam district had reported 155 dengue positive cases in 2018, 307 in 2019, 9 in 2020 and 333 in 2021.