The state government on Wednesday clarified that seasonal diseases including malaria, dengue, chikungunya and JE are "under control", and that there is nothing to get alarmed about. However, the Health Department has been kept on alert to constantly monitor the situation.
The Department of Public Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday informed the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy that so far 3 dengue deaths have been reported from the state since July this year.
They denied the reports of more deaths. As many as 271 cases of dengue have been reported since January to 30 September. Officials say that 405 cases were reported last year in the corresponding period.
Of the 3 deaths, 2 were reported from Hyderabad and one from Visakhapatnam.
In the last week of September, 36 cases were reported in the state. When compared to the previous year in the month of September - in which 346 cases were reported - the number this year is 179, which shows a decreasing trend.
Officials say that sentinel surveillance has been intensified to get the information of the incidence of the disease from both the government as well as private and corporate hospitals.
As many as 25 sentinel centers were identified prior to the transmission season, and an adequate number of Mac Elisa test kits have been supplied to each centre for serological tests to detect symptoms of dengue and chikungunya, officials said.
The officials said that case management facilities in hospitals have been streamlined. Platelet separators have been established in major hospitals to enable platelet transfusions, wherever necessary, they added. (INN)