BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday rushed mobile health units and specialists to the dengue-affected pockets of Angul district even as two more people reportedly succumbed to the disease, taking the toll to four.Sanjulata Sahu of Balanda village and Tikan Pradhan of Badajorada under Talcher died of dengue-like symptoms, though official confirmation is not forthcoming. There has been confirmation of around 67 persons suffering from the disease and two deaths, while unofficial sources put the affected populace over 100 and more than six deaths till now. The affected persons have been referred to different hospitals in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack from the MCL Central Hospital.With cases continuing to pour in, the Health department on Monday mobilised five health units in the region for early detection and screening and also spreading awareness on preventive measures. The mobile units have been put in charge of one doctor each and allied personnel.The outbreak has been prominently manifested in 36 villages under the colliery belt of Talcher. The villages, under Kamalachuin and Godibandha areas of the mining belt, have been particularly affected. State Nodal officer for disease surveillance, Dr Bikash Patnaik, said senior doctors from Medicine, Paediatrics and Community Medicine departments of the SCB Medical were rushed to the affected areas to contain dengue. They will guide the handling of suspected dengue cases at the local hospitals to ensure early treatment and prevent casualties, he said.Thirty more health workers have been deployed in the villages to undertake door-to-door surveillance and sensitisation of the people on prevention of dengue. Cleaning, sanitisation and anti-mosquito spraying operations have been intensified in the affected region. All water bodies, pools, puddles and storage tanks are being cleaned and treated with anti-larvicidals. The MCL has been instructed to dry out its stagnant water pools immediately.About 40 knapsack sprayers have been engaged for door-to-door spraying, while two vehicle-mounted foggers from MCL and five handled machines brought in from Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) have been pressed into service to eliminate the adult mosquitoes. Along with fever surveillance, an expert team is engaged in monitoring the vector density in the affected region, Patnaik said.
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