West Bengal faces surge in dengue cases across five districts

Dengue cases are surging across West Bengal, with the total number of infections approaching 3,000. Health Department statistics indicate that approximately 1,000 new cases were reported in the last month alone.

The health department has identified five high-risk districts: Murshidabad, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and Howrah. Murshidabad has recorded the highest number of cases at nearly 600, followed by Kolkata and North 24 Parganas with approximately 350 each.

In addition to dengue, officials have raised concerns regarding cases of ‘Plasmodium falciparum’, a dangerous form of malaria that can impact kidney function. Health Minister Sharadath Mukherjee has criticized the maintenance of artificial water bodies, such as ‘Padma Pools’, noting they serve as breeding grounds for mosquito larvae.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has instructed medical professionals and hospital officials to report all dengue and malaria cases accurately, explicitly directing them not to categorize these illnesses as ‘unknown fever’ to avoid underreporting.