New Delhi, The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has attributed the significant rise in dengue cases in the city this year to the increase in the number of testing centres, which has increased from 36 to 900 compared to last year, according to An official. report.
Till July 6, Delhi recorded over 256 cases of dengue, almost double the 136 cases recorded in the corresponding period in 2023 and the highest since 2020, according to data in the report. In previous years, the number of dengue cases amounted to 153 in 2022, 38 in 2021 and 22 in 2020.
The highest number of dengue cases were recorded in Najafgarh area, the report said. So far this year, no deaths have been reported due to this vector-borne disease.
Last year there were 19 dengue deaths, the second highest number since 2020.
"The increase in the number of cases this year is because more testing centers have started collecting samples and reporting dengue cases to the civic body. Till last year, there were around 36 testing centres. Now, this number has increased to 900 due to and the numbers appear to be inflated," said a senior official of a civic body.
The peak dengue season is yet to arrive in Delhi and the situation will require urgent attention as the monsoon advances, providing suitable atmosphere for mosquito breeding to increase significantly, the official said.
It usually takes 10 to 15 days for a larva to develop into an adult mosquito that transmits dengue. The MCD is taking several measures to curb reproduction at source, another official said.
According to the report, in areas under the jurisdiction of other agencies like New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Delhi Cantt and Railways, around 10 cases of dengue were reported till July 6.
The report also shows data on other vector-borne diseases. The number of malaria cases reported until the end of last week was 90, while chikungunya cases were recorded at 22.
The MCD conducted more than 1.8 million home visits to check for breeding of domestic mosquitoes and found breeding in more than 43,000 houses, according to the report. It has issued almost 40,000 legal notices and challenges for violating the Malaria and Other Vector-Borne Diseases Act 1975, he added.
Till July 6, Delhi recorded over 256 cases of dengue, almost double the 136 cases recorded in the corresponding period in 2023 and the highest since 2020, according to data in the report. In previous years, the number of dengue cases amounted to 153 in 2022, 38 in 2021 and 22 in 2020.
The highest number of dengue cases were recorded in Najafgarh area, the report said. So far this year, no deaths have been reported due to this vector-borne disease.
Last year there were 19 dengue deaths, the second highest number since 2020.
"The increase in the number of cases this year is because more testing centers have started collecting samples and reporting dengue cases to the civic body. Till last year, there were around 36 testing centres. Now, this number has increased to 900 due to and the numbers appear to be inflated," said a senior official of a civic body.
The peak dengue season is yet to arrive in Delhi and the situation will require urgent attention as the monsoon advances, providing suitable atmosphere for mosquito breeding to increase significantly, the official said.
It usually takes 10 to 15 days for a larva to develop into an adult mosquito that transmits dengue. The MCD is taking several measures to curb reproduction at source, another official said.
According to the report, in areas under the jurisdiction of other agencies like New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Delhi Cantt and Railways, around 10 cases of dengue were reported till July 6.
The report also shows data on other vector-borne diseases. The number of malaria cases reported until the end of last week was 90, while chikungunya cases were recorded at 22.
The MCD conducted more than 1.8 million home visits to check for breeding of domestic mosquitoes and found breeding in more than 43,000 houses, according to the report. It has issued almost 40,000 legal notices and challenges for violating the Malaria and Other Vector-Borne Diseases Act 1975, he added.
