Fogging drive underway in South Delhi (Express Photo/Amit Mehra) Five fresh dengue deaths have been reported in Delhi, taking the total number of deaths due to the disease to six in the national capital, according to a civic body report released Monday.
The civic body is yet to share details of the patients. This is the highest number of dengue deaths reported in the past four years. In 2017, ten deaths were reported, four in 2018, two in 2019 and one death in 2020.
For the first time, the number of cases also crossed 500 in just one week this year, with 531 cases being reported last week, taking the total number of cases in Delhi to 1,537.
Dengue mosquito larvae breed in clear, standing water while that of malaria thrive even in dirty water. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch till mid-December.
The sudden rise in cases in the past three weeks has also led to several city hospitals struggling to tackle the crisis.
Owing to the surge in dengue cases, the Delhi government has said that hospitals may use one-third of the beds reserved for Covid-19 patients for those suffering from vector-borne diseases, if the need arises.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
