Bhaderwah/Jammu: Dengue cases continue to rise in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, with over 190 laboratory-confirmed cases requiring hospitalisation reported at Government Medical College Doda.
The surge in cases prompted authorities to seek assistance from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) to strengthen surveillance and identify dengue hotspots.
A five-member team of scientists from ICMR-NIV, Pune, led by Dr Qaiser Farooq Dar, Officer-in-Charge, ICMR-NIV North Zone, Jammu and Kashmir, visited the microbiology laboratory at GMC Doda and several dengue hotspots across the town, the officials said.
The team also examined admitted patients and reviewed their test reports.
Dr Dar said the district has recorded over 190 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases requiring hospital admissions, a sharp increase compared to historical trends in this traditionally non-prone mountainous district.
“This situation prompted ICMR-NIV to step in for assistance. As of now, we have taken samples to examine them further. Besides, we also visited the hotspots from where maximum cases have been reported.”
Dr Dar said the district had witnessed a sharp rise in dengue cases compared to historical trends in the traditionally less-prone mountainous region.
“The situation prompted ICMR-NIV to step in and provide assistance. We have collected samples for further examination and visited hotspots reporting the maximum number of cases,” he said.
He added that the findings would be submitted to the Jammu and Kashmir health authorities, following which further action would be decided based on the team’s assessment.
Meanwhile, Doda Chief Medical Officer Dr Vinod Sharma said the health department, in coordination with civic bodies, was making concerted efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
“To further strengthen our efforts against dengue, we sought assistance from ICMR and NIV,” Sharma said.