Chicken guniya, dengue cases in 595 Marathwada villages

Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Apr 10 (UNI) As many as 595 villages in the Marathwada region have reported Chicken gunyia and dengue cases, Divisional Commissioner Krishna Bhoge told reporters here this evening.

About 52,496 people from the region have been affected by the outbreak of fever. Around 1057 blood samples were sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology of which 137 had tested positive for chicken gunyia and 69 for dengue, Mr Bhoge said.

Health authorities have already initiated various preventive measures in all the affected villages. It has been decided to observe April 15 as a ''dry day'' by undertaking a massive drive to cleanse water repositories in the region, Mr Bhoge said, adding that a month-long drive will be undertaken in the region to eliminate the mosquitoes.

Mr Bhoge said that directives have been issued to depute at least one doctor to each of the affected villages to ensure early treatment to the patients.

Latur district has reported the highest number of patients suffering from fever at 27,902, followed by Osmanabad at 7107, Beed, 6361, Nanded, 5396, Aurangabad, 3149, Jalna, 1360, Parbhani, 730 and Hingoli, 491.

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