243 dengue cases in Delhi, over 55 per cent in September

Dengue cases have seen a spurt in the city with at least 136 people being diagnosed with it this month, taking the total number of people affected by the vector-borne disease in the city this season to 243, according to a municipal report released on Monday.

At least 225 cases of malaria and 60 of chikungunya have also been reported till September 15.

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Of the total 243 dengue cases this season, 136 were reported till mid-September, 58 in August, 19 in July, six in January, three in February, one in March, two in April, 10 in May and eight in June.

Two cases of malaria were reported in February, one each in April and March, 17 in May, 25 in June, 42 in July, 82 in August and 55 till September 15, according to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates data on vector-borne diseases for the city.

A senior doctor at a government-run facility said both dengue and malaria have different carriers. Therefore, it is not unusual for malaria cases to be reported in a larger number compared to dengue. He advised people to take all precautions, like wearing full-sleeve clothes and not allowing the breeding of mosquito larvae inside homes.

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“Water coolers should be dried up when not in use as dengue infection carrying mosquitoes breed there a lot. Mosquito nets should be used at home,” the doctor said.

The cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch to mid-December. No vector-borne disease case was reported till January 13.

The report said domestic breeding checkers found mosquito breeding in 1,57,032 households in the city till September 15. It said 1,34,784 legal notices have been served for various violations and “18,497 prosecutions initiated”.

On June 28, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal had directed local bodies and other agencies to intensify vector control measures.

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He had also asked for regular meetings at the level of district magistrates with all stakeholders to review the situation in their respective districts.          According to the SDMC, 10 people died due to dengue in Delhi last year, of whom five were not residents of the national capital. Overall, the vector-borne disease had affected 9,271 people in the city last year.