Dengue claimed two lives in four days at Suti II block of Murshidabad, triggering alarm in the administrative corridors of the area.
The deceased are Sima Bibi, 30, from Imambazar, and Chameli Bibi, 32, from Khanabari.
Reports from the health department suggest at least 150 persons from Suti alone are infected with dengue.
The deaths, on Wednesday and Saturday, prompted the health department to launch an awareness mission regarding symptoms of dengue, besides assigning specific hospitals and clinics to tackle the outbreak of the vector-borne disease.
The health department has also been spraying medicine over stagnant water bodies in the area.
Residents have been specifically instructed to ensure no stagnant water is left uncovered or unsprayed.
Dengue infections usually spike from August-end or September, and continue till the onset of winter.
According to entomologists, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary transmitter of the dengue virus, can breed even in a spoonful of stagnant water.
Health officials said all residents should clean their homes once every week to ensure mosquito eggs or larvae, if any, are destroyed.
Block medical officer of health Samim Samrat said: “Dengue has claimed two lives in the block, so far. Both the victims tested dengue positive.”
“I have received 154 dengue positive case reports so far,” he added.
Samrat said the block administration has been conducting regular health checkups in the area and taking maximum precautions and optimal measures to curb the outbreak.
“Many have recovered from the disease, but we are not letting our guard down,” he said.
Chameli Bibi’s brother Raju Shaikh said his sister went through an extensive medical referral system, before her demise.
“As soon as the initial symptoms appeared, we admitted Chameli to the regional block hospital. She was referred to the Jangipur sub-divisional hospital the next day, followed by a final shift to the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, later that day. She tested positive for dengue, and died on Wednesday,” he said.
