This is an archive article published on September 21, 2017
Milder form of dengue dominant this year: AIIMS
The latest MCD data reveals that 2,215 cases of dengue have been reported in the capital this year — a 60 per cent increase as compared to last year. According to MCD data, 1,177 cases of dengue have been reported in the city and 1,038 cases have been reported, where the infection has been acquired from outside the city.
New Delhi | Updated: September 21, 2017 08:35 AM IST
3 min read
Whatsapp
twitter
Facebook
Reddit
In 2016, AIIMS had confirmed that Type 2 strain, the less virulent one, was the most dominant strain circulating in the city.
Even as the capital this week crossed the 2,000 mark of patients who tested positive for dengue, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has identified the relatively less virulent DEN 3 (dengue strain — type 3) as the dominating strain circulating this year. Type 3 strain, considered to be a relatively mild strain, has been the most common strain in Delhi since 1960.
According to the virology laboratory at the department of microbiology, preliminary data on dengue serotypes during the ongoing season is predominately type 3, senior AIIMS officials told The Indian Express. The laboratory is an apex one for the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme for dengue and chikungunya.
“Dengue has been the dominant vector-borne infection circulating this year. Cases of chikungunya have been fewer this year as compared to dengue. As far dengue is concerned, DEN 3 has been the dominating strain circulating this year. It is the milder strain compared to Type 2 and 1; and Type 4 is the rare strain and has not shown a significant presence,” Dr Lalit Dar, professor, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, said.
Story continues below this ad
The dengue virus has four distinct but closely related serotypes depending on the antigens that make it. Also, each serotype has its characteristic symptoms. In case of Type 1, the symptom is classic dengue fever; Type 3 causes high grade fever without shock. These two are considered relatively mild serotypes. The severe strains are Type 4, which leads to fever with shock, and Type 2, which causes thrombocytopenia or a drop in platelets, haemorrhagic fever, organ failure and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS). Globally, Type 2 has been identified as the most common cause of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF).
The latest MCD data reveals that 2,215 cases of dengue have been reported in the capital this year — a 60 per cent increase as compared to last year. According to MCD data, 1,177 cases of dengue have been reported in the city and 1,038 cases have been reported, where the infection has been acquired from outside the city.
In 2016, AIIMS had confirmed that Type 2 strain, the less virulent one, was the most dominant strain circulating in the city. In 2015, when the capital witnessed its worst outbreak, Type 2 and 4 strains of the virus, both strong strains, emerged as the dominant ones. Type 4 is especially rare in the capital. Barring stray cases in 2003, the Type 4 strain has never been recorded in Delhi.
Recovery from dengue by one provides life-time immunity against that particular serotype. However, cross-immunity to other serotypes after recovery is only partial and temporary. Also, subsequent infections from other serotypes increase the risk of developing severe dengue.
Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health.
His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award.
Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time.
Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More
3 min read
In 2016, AIIMS had confirmed that Type 2 strain, the less virulent one, was the most dominant strain circulating in the city.
