India: Dengue Outbreak In Delhi Spreads Fear

Last week when India's veteran film director, scriptwriter and film producer Yash Chopra (80) died from Dengue fever, people became aware and panic spread in some parts of Delhi. Doctors were receiving calls from patients suffering from suspected dengue infection, seeking medical advice.

Delhi has seen an increased number of dengue cases over the last one month with several deaths. The Southern parts of the Indian capital were the hardest hit. Netizens were quick to report about the outbreak on Twitter:

DelhiSMENews: Delhi registers rise in dengue cases, 75 reported over weekend http://t.co/aQbVuL2i #News #Delhi

MitKat_Advisory: Dengue cases in Delhi touches 901: People travelling to Delhi must take the prescribed health precautions against dengue.

Mosquito sucking blood. Image by mrfiza copyright Shutterstock.

YearOfRat: Delhi reports 920 dengue cases. Saw at least 30 people in just one hospital yesterday.

However the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) says that there is nothing to worry about. On the other hand the Delhi government blamed the municipality and other civic bodies for lack of mosquito repellant activities and awareness campaign in that area. Cases of Dengue have also been reported in other parts of the country.

Netizens were also seen using Twitter and Facebook to crowdsource rare group of blood for the patients:

an_tyagi: RT @crazyabtsrk: Guys please help. O-negative #bloodneeded urgently in #Delhi. It's a serious case of #dengue. Contact +919811916830. Please RT @FRAZASAD

A Kenyan Doctor residing in Delhi blogs how fear creeps in as he looks for the rash that develops in the body of a dengue patient:

I can't stop checking myself out in the mirror and now, I am also seeing the offending mosquitoes everywhere I turn. I see them whizzing silently by on the street (Dengue fever is transmitted by a day time biting mosquito). I feel them munching on my bum as I walk on the street, I am constantly swiping them off my back ( never mind that I am wearing a shirt). I think I must be suffering from Mosquito Induced Post traumatic Stress Disorder.

Robin writes:

I know that every mosquito will not cause the Dengue but I can't analyse that which mosquito bites me so whenever I see one it looks like snakes and I feels after it's bite no one will come to know that I'm dead or alive here alone in this new place.

I'm cleaning my entire room all the time and not letting water to log anywhere near, also using the mosquito killing sprays and all but they are not in control and comes to bite me don't know how.

And that's the reason Dengue is threatening me again and again, daily.

The blogger also posts some advice to keep away from dengue.

Dr. B. P. Tyagi says:

The sudden change in climate in Delhi with stormy rains will cause more attacks of asthma, dengue and malaria.

Untimely rain will further add to the menace of dengue, malaria mosquitoes’ growth.

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