Dengue scare triggers village cleanup, tests later rule out infection | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Suspected dengue cases in Badi village of Bela mandal in Adilabad district triggered an intensive sanitation and awareness drive by health authorities, but subsequent confirmatory tests conducted at a govt hospital found that the two children at the centre of the scare were not infected with dengue.Following reports of suspected dengue infections, panchayat and health department teams launched preventive measures in Badi, spraying insecticides, cleaning residential areas within a 50-metre radius and removing discarded tyres, pots and other mosquito-breeding sources. Bleaching powder was spread in the locality, and residents were educated about mosquito control measures.However, tests conducted later at the govt-run Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad, found no evidence of dengue infection in either child, raising questions about the preliminary test results from a private hospital.District medical and health officer (DMHO) P Sadhana said the children had initially tested positive in rapid diagnostic tests, but such results require confirmation through ELISA testing.“When we enquired with the private hospitals, they said they had advised the families to undergo ELISA tests for confirmation. However, as the families could not afford the charges at the private hospitals, they came to RIMS, where ELISA tests returned negative results. We conducted a detailed enquiry, and it appears to have been a case of miscommunication,” she told TOI.The first case involved a 13-year-old boy from Badi, who was admitted to a private hospital in Adilabad after developing a fever. Following blood tests, his family was informed that he had dengue. The family spent Rs 4,000 on the first day of treatment and was told that the total medical bill could go up to Rs 30,000. Unable to bear the cost, they shifted him to RIMS, where tests conducted the next day ruled out dengue infection.In the second case, a six-and-a-half-year-old boy from the village was admitted to the same private hospital with fever and reportedly tested positive in a preliminary screening. Concerned about his condition, his father took him to Yavatmal in neighbouring Maharashtra, where doctors reportedly found no signs of dengue. The child returned home within two days.Health officials clarified that rapid diagnostic tests can only indicate a suspected dengue infection, while ELISA testing is required to establish a confirmed diagnosis. The DMHO advised people with doubts regarding diagnosis or treatment at private hospitals to approach the health department for assistance.