Lucknow: A total of 2,462 patients have been diagnosed with dengue in Uttar Pradesh, with more than half being reported in the past 25 days. Eight fresh dengue cases were reported in Lucknow, totalling 138, out of which, 10 are from the same area. The health department and the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) across all districts are on an alert and arrangements at hospitals, for medicines and dengue tests are being made. The CMOs, across the state, have fixed the rates for dengue tests and platelet readings. Separate wards are being prepared for dengue patients at hospitals in all districts. State Surveillance Officer Dr Vikasendu Agarwal said: "The situation is under control and all necessary further safety measures are already being taken." Dengue is caused by the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito. It is characterised by a high fever, severe headache, and pain behind the eyes. Red rashes also appear on the body. The Uttar Pradesh health department has advised people to remove unused items and use mosquito nets. This year, a total of 3,354 dengue cases have been registered, out of which, there are four official deaths recorded, three in Bulandshahr and one in Firozabad. Districts like Gautam Buddha Nagar 403, Ghaziabad 310 and Kanpur 210 have the highest cases, along with Meerut 174, Moradabad 114, and Varanasi 84 case this year. Twelve new dengue cases were reported in Kanpur in the last 24 hours, wherein nine patients have been shifted to the ICU ward. There are 210 active dengue patients in Kanpur. A charge of Rs 1,200 is payable to get the NS1 ELISA test done in a lab and Rs 1,400 for giving the sample from home. With fresh guidelines, the price has been brought down to Rs 1,000 for dengue tests and platelet count tests, in the lab, has been fixed at Rs 250 and for platelet testing at home, Rs 350 would be payable. The prices by the state administration will prevent private players from increasing the prices of testing amid a surge of the dengue menace in the state. The health department has also issued an advisory to residents to remove unused items from rooftops and balconies, drain water from cooler tanks when not in use and use mosquito nets while sleeping.
—IANS
