The vector-borne dengue positive cases have jumped more than fourfold in the past fortnight in the State’s capital city with fresh cases being detected mostly in slum areas of Bhubaneswar on a daily basis.

With as many as 216 positive cases reported in the last two weeks, it could be construed that vector-borne disease is steadily spreading its tentacles in the city amid unconfirmed reports of a minor succumbing to the disease on Tuesday.

Signs are ominous as the city’s tally which stood at lowly 60 on 14 July has soared to 276 in a four-fold spike by the female Aedes mosquito-borne disease.

The dengue situation in Bhubaneswar is definitely a cause of bother as over a dozen cases are being reported every day. However, the outbreak is localized in specific pockets and things are very much under control. The disease is yet to assume alarming proportions, the health officials here said today.

“Bhubaneswar has so far cumulatively reported 276 dengue cases. As many as 216 cases were diagnosed in the past fortnight. The State has accounted for 426 cumulative dengue cases including Bhubaneswar’s tally. We have received a report of a minor dying of dengue at a private hospital. It is yet to be confirmed and a report has been sought in this regard from the private healthcare facility”, State’s Public Health Director, Niranjan Mishra said.

Dengue cases have mostly spurted in Bhubaneswar since 30th June. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) assisted by the health department has launched active surveillance in the containment of the disease. It’s the slum clusters in Sailashree Vihar and Niladri Vihar where the majority of recent cases were reported, he added.

However, it is being widely believed that the actual number of dengue positive cases must be on a much higher side as many of the infected persons are opting for treatment at private healthcare centres. The record of the infected undergoing treatment at private hospitals evidently does not figure in the official list of dengue infections.

“We have stepped up field surveillance by constituting Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to arrest the chain of the vector-borne disease. There is no reason to be unduly panicked as BMC has undertaken all possible measures to stop the disease from spreading further. People showing dengue symptoms should immediately contact the nearest health worker or BMC staff for a confirmatory Elisa test, abiding by protocol”, said BMC Commissioner of BMC Sanjay Kumar Singh.

Elisa testing facility for diagnosis of dengue in Capital Hospital and Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) is available free of cost Capital Hospital and Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC). People should avail themselves the free services for early detection so as to arrest the chain of infection, Singh added.