Dengue continues to scare Delhi after the national capital lost another man to the mosquito- borne disease early this month.
Sureshwar Singh (52), from Loni Road near Shahdara (East Delhi), was being treated for dengue when he breathed his last on 10 October, The Times of India reported. Mahender Singh (48), from West Delhi, too died of dengue on 13 September. In both cases, the doctors had used the ELISA test to diagnose dengue.
As many as 340 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi in the past few weeks. South Delhi topped the list with 155 cases, while north and east followed with 68 and 56 cases, respectively.
Changes in weather mainly contributed to this occurrence, according to the officials.
"In the past one week, 115 dengue cases have been reported from across the city," a senior municipal official said, and explained how warm weather after Diwali can worsen the situation as it is favourable for the growth of mosquitoes.
"Normally, we would see a sharp decline in dengue cases post Diwali. But this year we are still getting 2-3 patients daily," a senior doctor from Safdarjung hospital, said.
However, these figures are said to be much lower than previous year. Last year, about 4,402 dengue cases were reported in Delhi during the same season.
Though, data from municipal corporation reported only two deaths this year, an online investigation throws light into the case of an eight-year-old boy named Rishi Qaddafi from Srinagar, who died of dengue at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi on 28 September.
Dengue- Some Basic Facts
Dengue is a viral infection, transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. High fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, rashes are some of the symptoms of the disease.
Delay in diagnosing and treating the condition can lead to adverse health outcomes. According to the Mayo Clinic in US, severe cases of dengue pose serious threat to important organs of the body including heart, liver and lungs; and can also lead to a sudden decline in blood pressure, causing shock and death.
Papaya Leaf- A Natural Dengue Cure
Research in the past shows that juice extracted from papaya leaf can help fight dengue. Certain enzymes present in the papaya leaf -- chymopapin and papin -- facilitated this by restoring the platelet count, a Times of India report shows.
A paste (20-25 ml) prepared from the fresh papaya leaves, when taken twice a day with fruit juice, is said to give positive results within seven days.
