Nashik: The alarming increase in the number of swine flu and dengue cases has created quite a flutter in the civic administration which is appealing to citizens to take necessary precautions to keep the diseases at bay.
According to officials from Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), of the 102 patients who had tested positive for swine flu between January 1 and September 30 this year, seven deaths have been reported from the limits of the municipal corporation. This year is comparatively better than last year when of the 227 patients who had tested positive for the disease during the same period, 29 had succumbed to the disease.
Of the 102 patients who tested positive for swine flu this year, 83 patients tested positive and five succumbed to swine flu in September alone. Though the number of patients who have contracted swine flu is much more than what it was in September last year (48), the death toll is slightly lower than last year when eight deaths were reported.
The health department of the civic administration has appealed to citizens to wash their hands and wear clean clothes after reaching home. It has also advised that if anyone was suffering fom fever after a cold, they should immediately consult a doctor on the same day.
NMC has also appealed to people to avoid shaking hands, refrain from going to crowded places and consume fruits, juices and water in large quantities. Officials from the civic administration said that the hospitals were equipped with facilities and adequate stock of medicines to treat swine flu patients.
Besides swine flu, there has also been a surge in the number of dengue cases. While 494 patients have tested positive for dengue between January 1 and September 30 this year and one death has been reported, a total of 237 patients had contracted the disease last year during the same period with no deaths.
While 126 patients tested positive for dengue in September alone this year, 105 patients had tested positive for the disease last year.
The civic adminsitration has advised citizens not to store water in open spaces that may act as a harbour for mosquito breeding. Changing the water in flower pots regularly, draining water from coolers, plates kept under flower pots, plastic cups, fridge defrost trays and AC duct are some of the precautionary measures listed by NMC.
The civic body has also advised to discard unwanted items like plastic cups, empty water bottles, tyres, paint boxes where water could accumulate. It further told citizens not to let water accumulate on the terrace, balcony or in the premises of their houses.
