Delhi records 5 fresh cases of dengue in a week as tally rises to 74
Highlights
- Five fresh dengue cases were reported in Delhi in the last week
- The national capital's tally now stands at 74 cases
- Delhi had recorded 23 dengue cases in January, 16 in February and 22 in March
Five fresh dengue cases were reported in Delhi in the last week that took the city's tally to 74, according to a South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) report released on Monday. Till April 11 this year, 69 dengue cases had been recorded in the city.
Five fresh dengue cases have been reported in the last week. At least 74 dengue cases have been recorded this year, the report said. No death has been reported due to the vector-borne disease so far this year, it said.
Delhi had recorded 23 dengue cases in January, 16 in February and 22 in March. As many as 13 cases had been reported till April 16, the report said.
During the period from January 1 to April 16, 17 cases were logged in 2021, seven in 2020, eight in 2019, 12 in 2018 and 18 in 2017, it said.
Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch till mid-December. Civic officials said this year, dengue cases are being recorded early due to the congenial weather for mosquito breeding.
An official of the SDMC health department said Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which cause dengue, proliferate fast when the temperature goes above 28-30 degrees Celsius. The SDMC is the nodal agency for the control of vector-borne diseases in the city.
Last year, 9,613 dengue cases, the highest since 2015, were recorded in the national capital. As many as 23 deaths, the highest since 2016, were also recorded in the city. In 2016, 10 deaths due to dengue were recorded.
Delhi had recorded two deaths due to dengue in 2019, four in 2018, and 10 each in 2017 and 2016. According to the SDMC report, 4,431 dengue cases were recorded in Delhi in 2016, 4,726 in 2017, 2,798 in 2018, 2,036 in 2019 and 1,072 in 2020.
In 2015, the city had witnessed a massive outbreak of dengue with the number of cases crossing 10,600 in October itself. It was Delhi's worst dengue outbreak since 1996. Seven cases of malaria and eight of chikungunya have also been reported so far this year in Delhi, the SDMC report said.
SDMC commissioner Gyanesh Bharti had issued an advisory last week on the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases in Delhi. He had called upon resident welfare associations, market associations and the general public to take preventive measures, failing which the spread of dengue and chikungunya may become uncontrollable.
The civic body had issued 144 notices against violators last week.
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