HYDERABAD: The death toll in the current bout of dengue in the State has gone up to five officially with three more fatalities reported -- two from East Godavari district and one from Srikakulam --even as the Government is trying to tackle the situation by galvanising its health apparatus.

Unofficial figures indicate a toll of more than 20 but the Health Department will confirm these as deaths caused by dengue only if the victim's blood samples test positive for the fever.

The number of the persons affected also has mounted to 27 officially.

Kadapa and Nizamabad districts accounted for the maximum number of dengue cases--five each. Anantapur, Nalgonda, Khammam, Chittoor, Hyderabad and West Godavari reported two cases each and Karimnagar, Srikakulam, Warangal, Visakhapatnam and Ranga Reddy one each.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced the sanction of Rs. 10 lakh to each district in addition to vehicles to combat the disease. Talking to reporters on Tuesday, he said the Government had responded to the challenge by undertaking spraying of chemicals and launching awareness programmes on an unprecedented scale. He said funds would pose no problem since the Centre was also giving money.

Tribal areas badly hit

Caused by the aedes aegyptus mosquito, the disease seems to be fast spreading its tentacles in the districts. According to an official analysis, the cess-pools across villages caused by stagnated water following the recent floods and rains have turned out to be ideal breeding sites for the mosquito.

Meanwhile, viral fevers broke out in endemic form in the tribal areas on either side of the Godavari in Khammam district and in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Adilabad. Hospitals are full of patients affected by malaria or jaundice. There are an estimated 1,000 viral fever patients in Khammam district alone.

The Government has put on alert its health staff all over the State, especially those in the primary health centres. P. Venkateswara Rao, Director of Health, said anti-mosquito operations were in full swing and a close watch was kept on the situation.

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