1 more suspected dengue death, toll 4 in Jalandhar

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 22

A 28-year-old resident of Jalandhar, suspected to be a dengue patient, died last night. A resident of the Seth Hukam Chand Colony, the man was admitted to a private hospital in Jalandhar, from where he was referred to a private hospital in Ludhiana. He died there yesterday.

This is the fourth suspected dengue death in Jalandhar, after two were reported in September and two in October. The victims include two children and two adults. The Health Department has not formally confirmed dengue as the cause of the four deaths.

Meanwhile, the number of dengue cases in Jalandhar reached 178. The man, who died yesterday, had been suffering from fever for many days. His father has a garment shop in the Shiekhan Bazaar.

Sources said the Mac-Elisa NS1 and IgM test reports of the patient came out to be negative. However, the Mac-Elisa IgG test report was positive. NS1, IgG and IgM are Mac Elisa tests done at different stages for suspected dengue patients.

Epidemiologist Dr Aditya Paul said, “So far, we can call him a suspected dengue patient. We have written to the private hospitals in Jalandhar and Ludhiana, and sought his details. A committee will look into the response and determine whether the patient died of dengue or some other illness. A report regarding the committee’s findings will also be sent to Chandigarh.”