Hero Image

Vijayawada in grip of viral fever, no dengue cases yet

Vijayawada: With viral fevers spreading across Vijayawada and the rest of Krishna district, officials, however, said there were no cases of dengue fever reported anywhere in the city.

K Arjun Rao, chief medical health officer, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), said there were no dengue cases reported from private and government hospitals.



He, however, acknowledged that there has been a significant rise in viral fevers. In Vijayawada GGH alone, over 500 viral fever patients have been admitted. There has also been an increase in outpatients with fever.

So far, there have been four deaths due to viral fever in Gannavaram, Krishna Lanka, Nandigama and Machilipatnam areas in last three months.

Officials also explained that in some cases where patients passed away, this was due to their existing low blood platelet count and the viral fever compounded the issue, thus worsening a critical condition.

VMC has begun medical camps across various places in the city 15 days ago to tackle viral fever cases. “We have been conducting diagnostic tests on suspected dengue and malaria cases. So far, we found many viral fever cases where free treatment has been provided in areas where mosquito infestation is prevalent,” Rao told TOI.

Viral fever cases have been rampant in low-lying areas like Ramalingeswara Nagar, Ayyappa Nagar, Ranigari Thota and Krishna Lanka areas of the city because of floods in the Krishna river. Residents blamed mosquito menace for viral fever in the area.

Apart from medical camps, the health wing of VMC is also conducting door-to-door surveys and collecting blood samples from patients suffering from suspected vector-borne diseases.

Karimullah, an autorickshaw driver and a resident of Ranigari Thota, said all four members of his family were down with viral fever, affecting their daily business for the past two weeks.

Vijayawada GGH superintendent P Nancharaiah said almost half of their general ward has been filled with viral fever patients. “We have conducted diagnostic tests for dengue fever to all the viral fever patients that have come to our hospital and so far no such case has been notified yet. We are leaving no stone unturned as we are on the lookout for any suspicious symptom,” said Nancharaiah.

READ ON APP