Dengue cases are on the rise, and this has caused an alarm in the city. With the onset of monsoon season, the number of dengue cases has also increased, and this has become a major issue for doctors and hospitals. They say it is a bigger concern than the return of COVID at this point in time.

Dr. K Shivraj, the consultant general physician of KIMS, says that the hospital got several cases from Begumpet, Kompally, Uppal, and surrounding areas. There has been an increase in the number of dengue cases, and they are getting at least 5-7 suspected cases of dengue per day. Incidentally, some of them test positive. Also, about 3-4 patients out of 10 require hospitalization.

Another pediatrician from Niloufer Hospital shares that earlier dengue cases were mainly reported in the old city. She said nowadays, the incidence of the disease is high in areas with lots of construction and nalas. She adds that the number of dengue cases spikes every 3-4 years, and this could happen this year, too, going by the pre-monsoon numbers. There was a spike in 2019 when 70-80 cases were reported per week in the Mahbubnagar district.

The doctors say they are getting 10-20 clinical cases, out of which 2-3 are confirmed cases. The discrepancy between confirmed and suspected cases is due to the antibody and antigen tests for dengue are not reliable. Those who showed symptoms and responded to the treatment were slotted as clinical patients, they say.

A study was carried out by GHMC’s entomology wing last year, which showed that 60% of cases in 2021 were from the same localities, similar to the clusters in 2019. The areas included Secunderabad, Serilingampally, and Khairatabad zones.