Dengue cases drop as surveillance stepped up

Patna: Bihar has reported no dengue-related deaths and no chikungunya cases so far this year with health officials attributing the decline to intensified surveillance, fogging drives and early intervention. The figures were reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by health minister Nishant Kumar on Tuesday.The state has recorded 176 dengue cases till July 6, a sharp fall from 3,902 cases and two deaths during the corresponding period last year. Bihar had reported 10,155 cases and 16 deaths in 2024, while the toll stood at 20,224 cases and 74 deaths in 2023.Patna has also recorded a significant decline. The city reported 47 dengue cases till July 6 this year, compared with 1,817 in 2025, 5,033 in 2024 and 8,600 in 2023. No dengue death has been reported in the state capital so far this year.Reviewing monsoon preparedness, Nishant asked officials to maintain heightened vigilance and ensure adequate arrangements for prevention, testing and treatment. The meeting reviewed fogging operations, mosquito control measures, surveillance, hospital preparedness and the availability of medicines and diagnostic kits.Officials said 318 fogging machines are operational across the state, with additional machines deployed in vulnerable districts, including Patna, West Champaran, East Champaran, Darbhanga, Nalanda and Bhagalpur.

Adequate stocks of technical malathion insecticide have also been maintained.The health department has supplied NS1 ELISA and IgM ELISA testing kits to district hospitals and medical colleges, while additional kits have been requisitioned. July is being observed as ‘Anti-Dengue Month’, with awareness campaigns focusing on eliminating stagnant water and promoting early testing for fever symptoms.