Second suspected dengue death reported in Bengaluru; Dr CN Manjunath calls for medical emergency: Report | Bengaluru

Bengaluru may have seen its second dengue death, as an 11-year-old boy named Gagan died of the virus at a private hospital in the city on July 5, The Hindu reported. Earlier, a 27-year-old man named Abhilash from Kaggadasapura also died of dengue on June 28, bringing the total number of dengue deaths reported in the state to six so far.

Tushar Giri Nath, chief of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), told reporters, “In these cases, we receive a report stating that dengue is suspected as the cause of death. After that, we conduct laboratory tests and send the report to the health department. They verify the report before declaring dengue as the cause of death. Therefore, we cannot declare the death as dengue until the test report is received.”

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Dr. CN Manjunath calls on Karnataka to declare dengue a medical emergency

Against this backdrop, Dr CN Manjunath, a noted cardiologist and Bengaluru rural MP, has urged the Karnataka government to declare dengue a medical emergency in the state, stressing the importance of controlling mosquito breeding to prevent the spread of diseases like chikungunya and Zika, reports The Indian Express.

Dr Manjunath also called for the setting up of a task force comprising health officials, urban development authorities, Zilla Panchayat members and representatives of water supply and sanitation authorities to effectively manage the current outbreak.

“The number of cases in the state is rising to nearly 7,000, with around six to seven deaths. Hassan, Chikmagalur, Bengaluru and Mysore and other districts are seeing a sharp rise in dengue cases. The government has to declare a state medical emergency to control the infection,” he said, according to the publication.

“The monsoon rains coupled with unfinished road works and construction of overpasses and underpasses is increasing the breeding ground for mosquitoes. Ideally, the civic authorities should have completed the monsoon-related works in summer, but that is yet to happen,” he added.

“In addition, many children are now suffering from dengue. The school administration should call a meeting to find out how to protect the children from infection. When the infection becomes complicated, there is no treatment for dengue. In most cases, it leads to death,” he said.