The Central government has decided to send a team of experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme to Firozabad as the district continues to reel under the impact of cases of high fever. B.P. Singh, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Firozabad said the team would visit on Friday.
Dr. Singh said the number of casualties because of dengue and other diseases had touched 49. However, he refused to confirm if the deaths had been caused by dengue or other diseases, and requested waiting for the audit. “We can confirm that out of the fresh cases in the last 24 hours, 36 tested positive for dengue and two for scrub typhus,” he said. Meanwhile, a five-member team from the Uttar Pradesh Health Department which arrived in Firozabad from Lucknow conducted tests and found a large number of dengue mosquito larvae here. During the investigation, it has come to light that it is pointing towards dengue. The samples have been sent to King George’s Medical University (KGMC). 41 persons, including 36 children, have died over the past few days in the Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh due to suspected dengue and viral fever. Last day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the removal of the chief medical officer of the Firozabad district where many children reportedly died due to suspected dengue and viral fever.
Sangeeta Aneja, Principal of the autonomous State Medical College and Hospital, said 350 cases of high fever were being treated at the hospital. Local sources said the toll had crossed 60 and that private health infrastructure is under pressure as well. Earlier on Monday, UP CM visited the Autonomous State Medical College to enquire about the health of children who were admitted there and instructed the officials concerned to send special teams to Mathura, Mainpuri, and Firozabad districts to take appropriate steps to contain vector-borne diseases.
