Delhi stung by chikungunya, dengue, malaria; over 1,700 affected

Yet again, the capital city has been clinched by the vector-borne diseases, chikungunya, dengue, and malaria and a few days back a 12-year-old boy had succumbed to dengue shock syndrome at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Going by the reports, the number of people affected by malaria till August 26 has gone up to 473 while the number of those affected with chikungunya stands at 339.

Vector-borne diseases are reported from mid-July to November-end but this year the cases of all the three vector-borne diseases were reported much earlier which doctors attributed to the early arrival of the monsoon.

Reports say that breeding of mosquitoes has been reported at 1,27,334 households in Delhi and all three municipal corporations have intensified awareness drives, distributing pamphlets and plying vehicles with loudspeakers issuing dos and don'ts for prevention of the diseases.

Delhi Government has banned over-the-counter sale of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and brufen as their use may "pose a threat" to dengue and chikungunya patients.