Dengue situation in India 2021: Country reports 1.64 lakh cases this year, so far

New Delhi, Nov 23: As many as 1,64,103 dengue cases have been reported in India, so far, with a case fatality rate of less than one per cent, Union Health Minister Masukh Mandaviya informed the Rajya Sabha.

Responding to a question, Mandaviya said that the government is closely monitoring the Dengue situation while claiming that there is no scientific evidence to suggest any specific relation between dengue and COVID-19.

"During 2021, a total number of 1,64,103 dengue cases were reported against 2,05,243 cases in 2019. Through the efforts of the Government of India and states, the Case Fatality Rate (deaths per 100 cases) has been sustained at less than 1 per cent since 2008.

The case fatality rate has remained at an extremely low level of 0.1 per cent since 2019," Mandaviya said.

When asked about the "alarming" Dengue situation in the country, the Union Health Minister stated that multidisciplinary Central teams were deputed to Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir from August 28 to November 19 this year.

The teams observed that sufficient diagnostics kits, medicines, insecticides, fogging machines and funds were available with the states and Union Territories, the minister said. Vector control measures and case management were also largely adequate.

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Central teams have recommended that the states should take adequate proactive measures for source reduction and vector control, ensure early case detection and effective management of the cases, he said. Mandaviya said reports of the Central teams have already been shared with the states for necessary actions.

"With the concerted efforts of Central and state governments, the number of dengue cases has now started declining," he said.

The government had shared national guidelines on dengue case management, which is developed in consultation with experts, during the Covid pandemic to ensure continued services for the management of dengue cases, he said.