Dengue cases are on the rise in Jammu & Kashmir with 528 cases reported this year so far in the Union Territory. The State Surveillance Officer, Dr Harjeet Rai told the news that this year, 528 cases of dengue have been reported in J&K. He said dengue cases are projected to surge post-monsoon and advised people to take “preemptive” measures to combat the painful mosquito-borne disease in the absence of any vaccine. Dengue caused by viruses carried by infected mosquitoes has always been a health concern and people need to take precautions to protect themselves from falling prey to the virus, he added. Meanwhile, the doctors have advised people to use mosquito repellents and wear full-sleeves shirts to save themselves from mosquito bites which they said choose to breed in stagnant water accumulated by water-logging mainly during monsoon. “The best way to prevent dengue fever is to eliminate pockets of stagnant water that serve as mosquiton breeding sites at home, at schools, workplaces and their vicinity, and to avoid mosquito bites,” the doctors advised. They said the mosquitoes that spread dengue are active during the day. “Cover as much of your body as possible and use mosquito nets if sleeping during the day and spray the nets with insect repellents,” they said. The most common symptoms, as per doctors, are fever and headache, eye pain (typically behind the eyes), muscle, joint or bone pain, rash, nausea and vomiting.
