In a concerning update, the dengue outbreak in Punjab has claimed seven lives and affected over 11,000 individuals so far this year. According to the Health Department, out of 54,368 persons tested for dengue, 11,028 have tested positive, with the unfortunate demise of seven individuals due to the vector-borne disease.
Health officials expect that the dengue wave is likely to persist for the next couple of weeks, with more than 100 fresh cases being reported daily. The latest statistics from Wednesday reveal 173 new cases of dengue.
In a breakdown of cases by district, Hoshiarpur leads with 1,340 cases, followed by SAS Nagar with 1,160, Ludhiana with 1,031, Patiala with 910, Kapurthala with 862, Bathinda with 634, and Amritsar with 570. It is noteworthy that last year, the state reported 11,030 dengue cases and 41 deaths.
Furthermore, the state has reported 1,397 cases of chikungunya, with over 80% of these cases concentrated in six districts. Amritsar district tops the list with 544 cases, followed by Hoshiarpur with 225, Kapurthala with 158, Pathankot with 116, and Tarn Taran with 94.
The health authorities are actively addressing the situation, and citizens are urged to take necessary precautions to prevent the further spread of these vector-borne diseases.
