New Delhi: Government on Sunday sought to play down concerns of dengue outbreak during the Commonwealth Games here saying the prevalent variant of the vector-borne disease was not very dangerous.
"Dengue count in the country is still low. The type of vector-borne disease is subtype 3, which is not very dangerous," Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here.
He said that countries like Sri Lanka and Indonesia have seen a very large number of dengue cases. "In nations such as Sri Lanka, there have been nearly 15,000 cases of dengue and over 200 people have died.
Indonesia has had over 80,000 cases of dengue," he said. Over 2,800 dengue cases have been reported across the national capital this season and five persons have succumbed
to the disease.
The dengue outbreak has also raised concern among several countries which are participating in the Games to be held here from October 3.
India has issued a health advisory for participants and visitors coming for the event asking them to take precautions like carrying full-sleeve clothes and using mosquito repellent creams, mats or coils.
PTI
