New Delhi: Delhi has registered a huge spurt in dengue cases, with over 100 people being diagnosed with the infection in the last one week, taking the tally of the vector-borne disease in the city to nearly 400 so far this year.
According to a report released by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday, 152 cases have been reported in this month alone till 17 September. The city had recorded 295 dengue cases till 9 September. In the last one week, 101 fresh cases have been reported.
Out of the 396 total cases recorded till 17 September this year, 75 were reported in August. It is also the highest number of dengue cases logged during the 1 January-17 September period, since 2017, when the corresponding figure was 1,465.
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No death has been reported so far this year due to the disease. Ninety-two cases of malaria and 17 case of chikungunya have also been reported this year in Delhi till 17 September, the report said.
A senior MCD official had earlier said the rising cases of dengue is a "matter of concern for us" and "we are working on measures to combat it". Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, sometimes stretching till mid-December.
Civic officials said dengue cases were recorded earlier than usual this year due to weather conditions congenial for mosquito breeding. Last year, 9,613 dengue cases were recorded in the national capital, the highest since 2015, along with 23 deaths -- the maximum since 2016.
According to the MCD report, the city recorded 23 dengue cases in January, 16 in February, 22 in March, 20 in April, 30 in May, 32 in June and 26 in July. In 2018, Delhi had reported 343 dengue cases during the January 1-September 17 period, according to the report. The figures in 2019, 2020 and 2021 were -- 217, 172 and 211, respectively.
Amid the spike in cases of dengue in Delhi, mosquito breeding was found at public places and government offices, including a police academy and a metro station, during an anti-dengue drive following which legal measures were taken by the civic authorities.
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"This year, MCD has issued 82,490 legal notices and 28,846 challans so far against defaulters," the civic body had said in a statement on 16 September.
Intensifying its ongoing drive for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases, the MCD has carried out a "massive drive to detect mosquito-breeding in the premises of government offices, construction sites, schools, universities, educational institutes, metro parking lots and metro stations".
During the drive, breeding of mosquito larvae was found on their premises and the "department issued 42 challans and 18 notices", it said.
Legal measures were taken against defaulters for mosquito-genic condition or breeding of larvae found on premises of Delhi Jal Board plant offices, Keshopur and Nangloi; DDA horiticulture unit, Janakpuri; Kukeja Hospital, Rajouri Garden, NITRD TB Hospital, Dwarka; Akash Institute IIT-JEE & Medical, Dwarka; police stations at Paschim Vihar West and Seelampur; DJB Yamuna Vihar; Government Senior Secondary School, Brahampuri; PWD Office Gokulpuri; Delhi Police Academy, Sonia Vihar; BSES Kamla Market; metro station at Peeragarhi; and PWD Outer Ring Road, Peeragarhi, the statement said.
Ten deaths each were reported due to dengue in 2016 and 2017, four in 2018 and two in 2019. According to official data, 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 dengue outbreak, with the number of cases crossing 10,600 in October. It was Delhi's worst dengue outbreak since 1996. (PTI)
