Cuttack: A 35-year-old woman died at SCB Medical College and Hospital's special dengue ward, taking the death toll due to the vector-borne disease to three since the opening of the ward on May 26.

Official reports said Premalata Swain, a resident of Harianta village under Tangi-Choudwar tehsil in Cuttack district, died at the dengue ward around 6pm on Sunday. She had been admitted there since the previous evening with symptoms such as fluctuating fever and vomiting. "As she had cardiac arrest twice along with fits on Sunday morning, treatment for resuscitation was immediately given. But unfortunately, she succumbed in the evening," said Dr Sriprasad Mohanty, assistant nodal officer for treatment of dengue cases.

"The patient's blood sample was not tested in the hospital for confirmation in such situation," Mohanty said.

Turning up of dengue cases have continued unabated at the ward with 291 more people affected by the disease admitted here since August 6.

In the past 13 days, on an average more than 22 cases had been tested positive every day at the hospital, taking the total number dengue patients admitted from 317 to 608. As many as 206 dengue patients have been admitted here in the past seven days. Nearly 70 per cent of the patients were from the coastal districts. While blood samples of 2,584 persons had been tested since May 26, 608 of them tested positive and admitted for treatment.

While the death toll in the ward has been three, 521 patients have been cured and discharged after treatment by Sunday. At present, 86 patients (six in ICU) are undergoing treatment here, hospital sources said.

Emergency treatment and free blood tests are being provided to patients suffering from dengue. At the casualty and outdoor departments patients with suspected dengue symptoms are being thoroughly checked and admitted without delay.

Last year, as many as 2,315 dengue patients were cured and discharged after treatment from the hospital's special dengue ward.