Over 60 malaria cases reported in Delhi till July, 27 affected by dengue

At least 66 malaria cases have been reported in Delhi this year, more than double the number of people affected by dengue, a municipal report released on Monday showed. As many as 57 of these malaria cases were recorded in June. Last year, 2,798 dengue cases and four deaths were recorded by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates the data on vector-borne diseases in the city.

According to the report, till July 13 this year, 27 cases of dengue have been reported -- 16 in June, three in May, two in April, four in March and one each in February and January. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch to mid-December.

Also, of the 66 cases of malaria eight were recorded in May and one in April -- and 14 cases of chikungunya -- nine in June, two in February and one each in March, April and May -- have been recorded. The dengue victims last year included a minor boy. Three of the victims were identified as Aman Tiwari (13), Sanskriti (21) and Gagan (23).

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Doctors have advised people to take precautions to ensure that there is no breeding of mosquito larvae around them and urged them to wear full-sleeves and use mosquito nets.

Water coolers should be dried up when not in use as mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus usually breed there, a doctor said. Civic bodies had also organised a workshop recently on prevention of vector-borne diseases. Mosquito-breeding has been reported in at least 38,512 households and 38,294 legal notices have been issued this year.

Meanwhile, East Delhi Mayor Anju, Monday said from July 17-19, a public awareness campaign on dengue, malaria and chikungunya will be launched in all wards of east Delhi, which will be led by councillors.

Of the total number of dengue cases last year, 141 were recorded in December, while 1,062 were reported in November, 1,114 in October, 374 in September, 58 in August, 19 in July, eight in June, 10 in May, two in April, one in March, three in February and six in January.

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The rest of the cases were reported from areas outside the jurisdiction of the three municipal corporations of Delhi. Also, 473 cases of malaria and 165 cases of chikungunya were reported last year.

According to the SDMC, 10 people had died due to dengue in Delhi in 2017, of whom five were not residents of the national capital. Overall, the vector-borne disease had affected 9,271 people in the city in 2017.