02 September,2010 08:10 AM IST | | Astha Saxena
With the number of cases reaching 1014, that's the need of the hour say city doctors
About time, one would have to say. With 77 more patients testing positive on Tuesday, the number of dengue cases in the Capital this season is now 1014. And city doctors are stressing on the need for an antiviral drug to counter the vector-borne disease.
"There are now antiviral drugs for Chickenpox as well as HIV. Why are there no such drugs for dengue," said a senior doctor on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
"If we had an antiviral drug for dengue, it would have certainly helped," said Dr Vivek Nangia, head, pulmonary and infectious diseases, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj.
The chances of recurrence of dengue among patients is also not uncommon. There are four forms of dengue - Type I, II, III and IV. Medical experts say, if someone is suffering from one form of dengue, he may be infected by another form in future.
"If someone had already been attacked by dengue virus then the risk increases when the person is attacked a second time," sources said. Even the government feels that the time has come."An antiviral drug is needed for dengue. The concoctions that have been designed with different compounds have sadly been unsuccessful," said Dr V M Katoch, Secretary, Department of Health Research (DHR), who is also Director General, of ICMR.
