After assuming epidemic proportions, the menace of dengue is proving to be fatal. On Monday, a 19-year-old girl, a resident of Nehru colony, died due to the disease. The dreaded vector-borne disease has so far claimed four lives in the provisional State Capital. The girl, who lost her life due to dengue, was undergoing treatment at Himalayan hospital, Jollygrant. She was a first year student in a private university of Dehradun. Her sample was found positive for the disease in the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test. Confirming her death due to dengue, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dehradun, Dr S K Gupta said that a total of four persons have so far lost their lives due to the dengue. He added that out of the four deaths, three were residents of Dehradun while one belonged to Tehri.

Meanwhile, the number of patients affected by the disease has jumped to 687 in Dehradun. The district health department reported 19 cases of the disease on the day after their blood samples proved positive in the ELISA test.

The CMO said that the health department is on alert mode on the disease. He said that the special dengue wards have been made in all the government hospitals and the doctors have been asked to treat the patients of dengue on top priority. He said that there is no need to panic as the disease can easily be cured if treated properly.

The district vector borne diseases officer, Subhash Joshi said that people should ensure that the breeding places of mosquitoes inside their homes and vicinity are destroyed.

He added that Aedes mosquitoes - the vector of dengue- are capable to lay their eggs in one spoonful of water so the pots, vases, water bottles and coolers should be decanted regularly.  

The officer said that the Aedes mosquito bites during day time so it is advisable that everyone should wear full sleeve clothes to reduce exposure of their body for the mosquito to bite.