One more dengue death in Odisha

Dengue has killed one more person in Odisha, taking the toll of the disease in the state over the last two months to four, an official said Monday.

The latest death, which occurred Sunday, was reported from Sriram Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, about 25 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

The man who succumbed was under treatment and working for a private firm, joint director of the state health department M.M. Pradhan told IANS.

The man made frequent trips to Kolkata, where an outbreak of the mosquito-borne infection has been reported, Pradhan said.

So far, 575 positive dengue cases have been reported in Odisha this year. More than half the people who tested positive for dengue were from the coastal Balasore and Ganjam districts, Pradhan said.

While most of the people received treatment at their respective homes and were cured, the number of people currently under treatment in different hospitals in the state for the infection would be around 25, an official said.

The state government has trained a large number of volunteers to carry out an awareness campaign in the affected areas to contain the spread of infection, he said.