Picture used for representational purpose only

CHENNAI: Even as multiple cases of dengue were being reported from across Tamil Nadu , state health secretary Beela Rajesh on Tuesday said that of the 2,951 cases of dengue reported from across the state this year, there has only been one death. What she failed to state, however, was that in the last two weeks at least two deaths that were notified by city doctors have still not officially been included in the state registry.

"Most of the dengue cases occur in districts bordering neighbouring states. Telangana has reported 7,000 cases and Karnataka has reported 12,000 cases. They have many deaths too. So border districts have been seeing a spike in fever cases," she told reporters after inspecting fever wards in two government hospitals.

On September 22, an eight-month-old boy Lohith from Maduravoyal died at the Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital following complications of dengue and city health officials too confirmed that the death was notified to them the same day. "The child's liver and kidneys failed. Despite intensive therapy including continuous renal replacement therapy, he did not respond. We saw his pupils dilate, probably because of a bleeding in the brain or stroke," said intensivist Dr Bala Ramachandran.

