Amidst the heavy flooding plaguing eastern and northern India, a tiger displaced from Assam’s flood-ravaged Kaziranga National Park sought refuge in a nearby house – much to the shock of residents. The tiger fled the park where 92 animals have drowned. Many are still trapped by the floodwaters. In a viral photo shared by an […]
Dengue fever
Mobilising people to fight vector-borne diseases in Delhi
“Probably for the first time, the Centre, state and all local bodies will put together their efforts to mobilise the community for a public health activity,” said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, as he announced a three-day campaign in Delhi beginning this week to increase public awareness of vector-borne diseases yesterday. Amidst the monsoon […]
Assam flooding spreads as the region is lashed with rains
Assam has faced heavy flooding for several days, with the situation only deteriorating at the week’s end. As of Thursday, 4.2 lakh people across seventeen districts have been affected by the floodwaters. Many have been displaced, with 1,843 people taking refuge in relief camps as the waters submerge 749 villages. The flooding has gotten worse […]
Monsoon season: Delhi prepares for mosquito-borne diseases
The monsoon season brings with it mosquitoes. The mosquitoes bring with them diseases. And Delhi is committed to making sure they are kept under control before the arrival of the first showers . In a meeting with municipal corporation and hospital officials, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it is important that preventive action is taken […]
Dengue fever: Strict action against negligent doctors in Kolkata
Kolkata medicos will face strict action if they do not adhere to guidelines outlining the proper treatment of dengue fever. A meeting between the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and personnel from government-run hospitals in the city emphasised the importance of following dengue treatment protocols devised in 2017. Atin Ghosh, Kolkata’s Deputy Mayor, pledged action against […]
Dengue: Soon to be a worldwide problem?
Experts predict dengue fever will threaten sixty percent of the world’s population, amounting to a predicted six billion people by 2080. This predicted increase can be largely attributed to two factors: urbanisation and global warming. In India, dengue fever is endemic across all 35 states and union territories. The disease has shown a gradual increase […]
As monsoon season looms, hospitals prepare for dengue cases
With the summer upon us, India’s monsoon season is looming and, with it, the prospect of outbreaks of mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as dengue fever. In preparation, the Union Health Ministry is calling on government-run hospitals to set up dedicated centres on their grounds for the treatment of dengue cases. “As rising temperatures and natural […]
Lessons from the dengue and H1N1 rise in Mumbai
The first quarter of 2019 saw an increased burden of dengue fever in Mumbai compared to last year, official figures show. Yet there may be other causes for concern when it comes to infectious diseases in the metro. India’s largest city and the state capital of Maharashtra reported 44 cases of dengue in the January-March […]
Dengue fever going under the radar?
Cases of dengue fever could be slipping under the radar because they do not show any symptoms such as fever, doctors at India’s apex hospital have warned. Many cases of asymptomatic dengue fever have been detected by scientists at the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This has sparked concern that individuals could be […]
Disease profiles: What is dengue fever?
Dengue fever is one of several mosquito-borne diseases that become more prevalent around the time of India’s monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls dengue the fastest growing mosquito-borne infection worldwide, outpacing even malaria. In India, the disease is endemic across all 35 states and union territories. Prevalence Dengue fever cases were originally recorded […]