Itanagar, Sep 27: Arunachal Pradesh have issued a health advisory for early detection of dengue cases and raising public awareness amid an upsurge in instances of sudden short-term fever. The advisory by the office of the Itanagar Capital Region district medical officer, Dr C Lowang Mallo, on Saturday urged locals to take preventive measures and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear.

Locals have been advised to prevent mosquito breeding by eliminating stagnant water, regularly cleaning water coolers and tanks, and keeping water storage containers covered. The health department also asked people to use mosquito repellents and mosquito nets, install window screens, and wear full-sleeved clothing.

People experiencing dengue symptoms should avoid self-medication and consult a doctor immediately for diagnosis, the advisory said. It specifically cautioned against taking aspirin, ibuprofen, and steroids without medical advice.

Dengue is a vector-borne disease that causes acute febrile illness generally lasting between two and seven days. Common symptoms include headache, body ache, joint pain, rashes, and retro-orbital pain, or pain behind the eyes, the advisory said.

The advisory comes amid concerns over the Northeast’s vulnerability to vector-borne diseases. Earlier, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, in its report on vector-borne diseases in the region, had noted that climatic, ecological and socio-economic conditions, along with factors such as waterlogging, unplanned urbanisation, waste accumulation and inadequate infrastructure, can contribute to the persistence and spread of such diseases in the Northeast.

“Intense monsoon rains create ideal breeding habitats for mosquitoes, while abundant paddy fields, ponds, blocked drains, and poorly maintained water storage systems further contribute to mosquito proliferation. Additionally, the region’s dense forest cover supports forest-dwelling vectors such as Anopheles dirus and Anopheles fluviatilis, which are highly efficient malaria vectors,” the panel stated.

It had called for stronger surveillance and region-specific strategies to tackle vector-borne diseases.