Bhubaneswar / Cuttack, Sept. 24: To halt the spread of dengue across the state, the health department has constituted district-level cells to monitor sanitation measures and treatment of patients.

So far, the total count of dengue positive cases in the state has reached 575 while four people have lost their lives to the sting.

Though government officials confirmed four dengue deaths — two in Angul and one each in Ganjam and Jajpur districts — a sudden rise in the disease in one particular block in Balasore district bordering Bengal has caused concern.

Nearly 163 dengue positive cases were reported within a week from Bhograi block alone.

On the other hand, SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack is planning to add 12 more beds to its present strength of 26 in the dengue ward.

At present, 28 patients from different parts of the state are undergoing treatment at the SCB’s special dengue ward, which is functioning from the second floor of the trauma and casualty department.

Experts have attributed the travel history of the patients on the border areas and influx of people from other states to the Talcher-Angul belt for employment to the spread of the disease.

Poor sanitation measures in the industrial belts are also believed to be a major contributing factor.

“Dengue outbreak in Bhograi is linked to the local people’s frequent travel to Bengal. There has been several dengue cases in the neighbouring state this year. On the other hand, dengue cases in Berhampur were linked to travel histories to Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam,’’ said nodal officer for malaria control Madan Mohan Pradhan.

Explaining how the disease spreads, Pradhan said: “The aedes mosquito, which is the dengue virus carrier, is present in large numbers even in Bhubaneswar. But, the mosquitoes are not infected with the virus. The disease spreads in a locality only if a mosquito bites a dengue-infected person and then bites others.”

Health minister Damodar Rout today said senior health officials were monitoring the situation in the dengue-affected districts of the state.

Health department sources claimed the drive to maintain proper sanitation had halted the spread of dengue in the Talcher-Angul belt this year.

Last year, some 33 persons died across the state while more than 1,800 dengue positive cases were reported.