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Dengue fever cases increase sharply in northern India

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The number of dengue fever cases has risen sharply in many states in northern India since October. The central government has sent medical teams to nine states to support their fight against the epidemic.

In early November, the Ministry of Health reported a total of 116,991 dengue fever cases across the country, 90% of which are recorded in northern India.

In just one and half a month, the number of dengue fever patients in New Delhi reached 2,700, five times that of the period from January to September.

The Indian Ministry of Health has urgently dispatched expert teams to nine states where dengue fever cases are concentrated, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, to assist local governments in containing the spread of the epidemic.

Experts said that this year’s dengue fever epidemic in northern India can be partly attributed to the postponement of monsoon rains and the excessive rainfall, which is conducive to the reproduction of mosquitoes.
In October, the precipitation in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other states exceeded previous years. In particular, this October was the rainiest month for New Delhi in 61 years.

Anil Viz, an Indian medical expert, said that fortunately, the virus that is now circulating is not fatal.

“The main complication (of dengue fever) we are seeing is the falling total blood cell count and platelet count, and that is not at a too dangerous level that can cause any mortality,” he said.

As the temperature in northern India drops, dengue fever cases are expected to gradually decrease, he said.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne infectious disease, which is mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease could cause typical symptoms including persistent fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and can lead to death in severe cases.

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