Bihar Dengue Cases: Patna authorities launched a fumigation drive to counter the mosquito-borne diseases

Over 1,400 people are being treated for dengue in Bihar, a steep increase from 1,000 cases in just five days as the state wrestles with the deadly disease. State capital Patna has been affected the most, with over 900 cases reported from the city alone, home to about 30 lakh people.

The state's health official said that intensive screening is being done across the state for dengue. Almost 20 per cent of the affected people are below 17 years, the official said.

An advisory will also be issued for students across the state to wear full-sleeved clothes to prevent exposure of skin to mosquitoes, Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary of the health department, said. Schools will be advised to use anti-mosquito spray in classrooms, he added.

Patna, which was flooded for over 10 days after incessant rains, has been dealing with the dengue nightmare and protesting against the government for alleged incompetence to drain out the water on time.

It took over 10 days to pump out the flooded water from Patna but not before dengue cases saw a sharp increase.

In 10 days since September 27, over 250 cases were registered in Patna alone. The spurt could be gauged from the fact that the number of dengue cases reported between January 1 and September 27 this year was just 409.

Almost a hundred people died due to the flooding across Bihar while authorities were bickering over who is to blame for the crisis.

The Nitish Kumar-led government has called for a comprehensive meeting to assess the situation. For these 10 days, animal carcasses and garbage floated around pockets of the city, leading to an increase in the rise of vector-borne diseases.