<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> Dengue not a dreaded disease: Hota
[ 14 Oct, 2006 1929hrs ISTPTI ]
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CHANDIGARH: Even as dengue continues to claim many lives across the country, Union Health Secretary Prasanna Hota on Saturday claimed it is not a "dreaded" disease and said the number of those affected by it was far less than previous years.
"It is not a dreaded disease. This year the deaths have been less," Hota told reporters after inaugurating National Institute of Paramedical Sciences at PGIMER.
Asked about the situation in the wake of increasing number of dengue cases at many places across the country, Hota, who was flanked by PGIMER director K K Talwar, said this year only 4,000 cases had been reported so far and the figure has been as high as 10,000 to 12,000 in the recent past.
He said though there was a lot of media attention this time around, there was nothing to panic.
"The nature of virus (causing dengue) is milder this time. The media attention is so much which makes the problem look bigger," he said adding that more and more people were going to hospitals because of increased awareness.
On the issue of making a Veterinary doctor head of the Central Research Institute, Kasauli, he said Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss had taken the decision in "anger".
"The Minister felt angry as no CHS cadre doctor was prepared to go there (to Kasauli)," he said justifying the appointment of K R Mani as the Director of the Institute.
<b>30 fresh polio cases reported from across country</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thirty fresh polio cases have been reported from across the country, <b>21 alone from Uttar Pradesh, taking the figure to 416.
"Thirty fresh polio cases were reported in the country, out of which 21 were from Uttar Pradesh alone. The total polio figure is 416, of which 358 is from UP.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Chikungunya cases surface on US shores
November 24, 2006 23:18 IST
Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease that has affected islands in the Indian Ocean and India, has surfaced on US shores.
Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota and at least half a dozen US states have reported cases of travelers returning from Asia and East Africa down with the virus, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
"This virus has exploded," French scientist Philippe Parola was quoted in The Chicago Tribune before presenting his findings last week at the 55th annual American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> Dengue not a dreaded disease: Hota