At least 52 people, mostly children, have died in an outbreak of mystery fever and dengue in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh with cases still rising and more patients pouring in to get admitted at the district hospital. Unsanitary conditions, stagnant water pools and breeding of mosquitoes are being blamed for the recent outbreak. 

In order to control the spread of the disease,  the district administration has now launched an initiative to introduce fishes that feed on mosquito larvae to control the growth of the vectors. 

Also Read: Firozabad mystery fever: Number of patients soar at the district hospital; families complain of delay in admission and treatment

The chief medical officer (CMO) of Firozabad informed the media that the ‘gambusia’ fish, which is commonly called mosquitofish, has been sourced free of cost from Badaun district where it has proven to be an effective solution to the larvae menace.

“The gambusia fish is especially effective in water bodies like ponds where there is a large surface area for the dengue-causing mosquitoes to lay eggs. These fishes can eat upto hundred (100) larvae per day. This technique has been effective in the districts of Bareilly and Badaun,” Dinesh Kumar Premi said in an interaction with the mediapersons yesterday on September 5. 

It is learnt that the fishes have been distributed at the local levels (municipal blocks and panchayats) for their introduction in the water bodies. 

Anand Kumar, a  gram panchayat member from Umri village in the Madanpur block stated that the district administration has passed on the fishes to the local levels and he has also received a packet containing gambusia to control the larvae in the village ponds. 

“We have been instructed to put these fishes in the ponds that are in close proximity with the village population. We have two such ponds in the village. I hope this helps in controlling the outbreak of the disease,” he said.

Residents complain of unsanitary conditions

Sudama Nagar locality in Firozabad city is one of the worst affected areas due to the ‘fever’ and dengue outbreak. Inhabitants of Sudama Nagar complained that the drains in the area were fetid and rarely cleaned. Only after a few deaths was there any move towards spraying. “Even then, it is just outside, nothing is being done inside our homes where mosquitoes breed too,” Pushpinder, a resident told Gaon Connection. He recently lost his six-year-old son Krishna to fever.  

“Dengue is rampant. There is no cleaning,” the grieving father continued, whose home Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited post the son’s death. “Only after the CM came has there been spraying of medicines and cleaning here,” Pushpinder added.

Similarly in Sofipur village, about seven kilometres from the district hospital Firozabad, inhabitants complained of dengue outbreak due to unsanitary conditions. A couple of kids have died in the village due to ‘fever’, as reported by Gaon Connection. 

Also Read: Firozabad mystery fever: 9-year-old Golu is the latest victim; patients from rural areas throng district hospital

Post the outbreak of the mystery fever, the district administration has become active and fogging is being carried out to control mosquito spread. Street shows and magic shows are being performed in affected mohallas to make people aware about symptoms of the disease and practice using mosquito bednets while sleeping. And now gambusia fish is being introduced to control the mosquito menace. 

Dengue in Firozabad as of now

Meanwhile, till yesterday, September 5, the death toll due to the mystery fever soared to 52. In official records, there are a total of 3,044 patients suffering from dengue-like symptoms in the district and at atleast 4,469 such patients have recovered from the illness. 

Also, nine rural blocks and an urban municipal area in the district are affected by the outbreak and a total of 755 teams of health workers are screening people for the infection in these areas. 

Alok Kumar, principal secretary, state medical education, Uttar Pradesh government, who is in Firozabad these days, told the media on September 5 morning that the number of patients at the district hospital is increasing. “We have added more beds in the new building at the hospital. Sixty-five beds have been added and if need be, more will be added. Our effort is to ensure no patient is turned away from the hospital,” he said.

A central team from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is investigating the outbreak and the state government has also stepped up surveillance for dengue and sent medical teams to aid health workers in Firozabad. On September 2, the Union health ministry also sent a team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Firozabad to investigate the matter. The first case of the mystery fever was reported on August 18.

(With inputs from Brijendra Dubey)