UP has 289 dengue patients, with maximum in Noida: Govt.

Lucknow, Oct 11 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government has so far identified 289 patients of dengue in the state, whereas the death toll has reached eight, the state legislative assembly was informed today.

Noida and Lucknow have been identified as districts with most cases of the vector-borne disease with 49 and 46 patients respectively identified so far in the two districts.

The issue of dengue was raised by the Oposition through an adjournment motion and during Question Hour.

State Revenue minister Ambika Chaudhury informed the house that dengue was under control and there was no cause of worry. He claimed that the state government had finalised action plan to deal with the vector-borne disease on August 10 itself. ''Fogging operations are on and doctors ready to deal with the situation,'' he added.

He said the state had two blood component sample machines required to check the virus. While one was installed at King George Medical University and hospital, the other was functioning at Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences.

The minister informed that the dengue carrying mosquito is usually active in two ''shifts'' between 0900-1200 hrs and 1600-1900 hrs.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey asked the government to ensure that the dengue virus did not spread in rural areas.

UNI MB/NAB VD VC1616