Dengue Cases on the Rise in New Delhi

Dengue cases have seen a surge in New Delhi with a total of 894 cases in the city the past week - a rise of 40 percent. The week also logged 85 cases of malaria and 61 cases of chikungunya.

Dengue is a viral infection commonly spread by the Aedes egypti mosquito. The virus is transmitted from one person to another by the bites of infected female mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are distinguishable due to the white spots on its legs. Around 3.9 billion people across the world are estimated to be at risk of catching dengue.

‘With the late September rains lashing cities across India � including Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai � viral infections and mosquito-borne diseases are inevitable.’

As per the report compiled by the three corporations, of the 894 dengue cases 288 were from areas falling under the civic bodies, the remaining 606 were from other states. In case of malaria, 47 cases have been reported from areas falling under corporations and 38 from other states. The total number of malaria and chikungunya cases was 954 and 533, respectively. Dengue cases reported till September 16 was 2,215, marking a rise of over 40% in a week.

A senior official in the corporation said that the monsoons may be a reason for the breeding of mosquitoes last month. "We have been checking every household and commercial establishment for breeding of larvae and have issued challans against the same. The breed checkers are checking every household every day," he added. Malaria, too, has shown a spike in the number of cases - a 36 per cent increase as compared to last year.

As per the report, the corporations have sprayed 11,87,494 households and have issued 1,37,504 legal notices.

Source: Medindia