The total number of dengue cases in Delhi have reached 8,896 with 347 cases reported in the previous week. Meanwhile, the number of people affected by malaria has also climbed to 1,128 while the figure for chikungunya stood at 901 with 23 new cases reported during the last week, according to the data released by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Monday.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) till November 25 reported 700 dengue cases, the highest among the three civic bodies whereas SDMC registered nearly 698cases in the same period. Over 398 cases reported from east Delhi.
Many residents believe that the rising number of vector-borne diseases is results of MCD apathy to curtail the menace. However, a senior corporation official said that all the measures have been taken to prevent breeding and public awareness are also being created by using different means such as pamphlets, poster, and radio. “The other measures including spraying, cleaning drains and nullah are in process to check the breeding,” he said.
Meanwhile, a SDMC official said that mosquito breeding has been reported from 208048 households in Delhi this year till November 25 and intensifying its action to contain the menace, the civic bodies have issued 169667 legal notices for mosquito-genic condition so far.
Of the total 8,896 cases of dengue, 4,556 patients belonged to Delhi. 4,340 patients from other States came to the city for treatment, the report said.
The mosquito-borne tropical disease claimed its first victim in the city this year on August 1 when a 12-year-old boy died of dengue shock syndrome at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH). Three more deaths were reported in October by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates data for the entire city. The civic body, however, has not acknowledged two fatalities due to dengue at the LNJP Hospital. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between mid-July and November-end.
This year, however, the disease spread much earlier. Dengue and chikungunya are caused by aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in clear water. The female anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, can breed in both fresh and muddy water.
As many as 2,760 cases were recorded in areas not falling under the three corporations. At least 21 deaths due to dengue were reported last year from various city hospitals, including nine at AIIMS, though the official figure of the civic bodies was 10. Seventeen deaths, suspected to be due to malaria, were also reported by civic bodies last year. At least 15 fatalities were reported last year at various city hospitals due to complications triggered by chikungunya, though civic authorities kept the death tally at zero. One of the worst outbreaks of chikungunya was in 2016 when 12,221 cases were reported till December 24. Of these, 9,749 were confirmed.