Andaman closes doors to dengue

Port Blair, Oct 5 (UNI) The Andaman and Nicobar Health Department has taken serious steps to check and control dengue virus by posting health workers at every entry point of the territory.

'' Earlier, Chikungunya had entered the island from the Mainland India and this time, we will take no chance,'' Andaman's Health Department Director N Sadasivan said.

Every day, hundreds of tourists come to these islands and the direct flights from Delhi, recently started by private airlines, are posing more threat from the entry of the virus, official sources said.

The health department has decided to conduct medical check-up of all the visitors entering the islands, Dr Sadasivan said.

About eight flights, with at least 1000 passengers, are operating daily in these islands from Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.

''We have posted our doctors to local sea and airports along with health workers and sanitary inspectors to conduct a door-to-door survey,'' Dr Sadasivan told UNI here.

The deadly dengue virus has already infected nearly 500 people in Delhi killing a few, according to official reports.

The Andaman health department with the help of Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) is dealing with the situation.

However, not a single dengue case has been reported here, RMRC Officer-incharge Vijay Acharya confirmed today.

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