Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 06 2009:
Even as the State Health officials are apprehensive about the possible spread of Dengue in Imphal area after its outbreak was reported for the first time in the State from the border town Moreh last year, 22 new samples have been collected from Moreh and sent for testing.
A source from the State Health Department said that after the outbreak of Dengue in the border town where even human fatalities had occured, there have been frequent reports of patients with symptoms similar to the infectious disease admitted to the hospital.
So the State Health Department has been closely monitoring the situation.
There is also the possible spread of the infectious disease in Imphal areas in view of the fact that traders from Imphal have been commuting to the border town for business transaction every day.
However, there has been any Dengue cases reported anywhere from Imphal area, the source said.
The source further conveyed that in order to find out the truth behind admission of patients with Dengue like symptoms in the border town, the State Health Department has collected and send 22 new samples for testing at Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry.
The test result of these samples are still being awaited, the source added.
It may be noted here that the outbreak of Dengue in Moreh that led to human fatality had been confirmed sometime earlier as a type which is new to India but common in other South East Asian countries.
According to Medical Superintendent of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Prof Y Mohen, the Microbiology Department of the medical institute has now facility for conducting test of this disease.
Earlier, RIMS used to facilitate in sending the samples for testing at the Ranbaxy company, Mumbai.