Dengue cases at 1,700, report says over 50% patients from outside Delhi

VECTORBORNE One dengue death has been recorded this year

Hospitals across Delhi have reported 1,700 cases of dengue this year till September 9, of which 829 patients were residents of Delhi, according to the weekly report released by the Municipal Corporations of Delhi. The report shows that 545 cases of dengue were recorded in a single week.

One death due to dengue has been recorded officially till date.

The number of cases of dengue reported is more than the total cases recorded in the same period last year and is almost comparable to 2015, when Delhi had its worst dengue crisis affecting nearly 16,000 and killing 60.

“However, this year most of the patients being treated for dengue in Delhi hospitals have come from neighbouring states. Of the 1,730 cases, 901 are from outside Delhi. This is as compared to 1,714 of the 1,872 cases being from within Delhi in 2015. Clearly, this year, the campaign to prevent breeding has worked,” a Delhi government official said.

Even Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said the cases are “less” as compared to last year. “We have focussed on motivating the children to check breeding in their homes and neighbourhoods. It just takes two minutes for them to check for mosquito larvae and this can help in preventing breeding in a big way.”

Although, the city has been getting cases of dengue, chikungunya and malaria this year, doctors have said they have been receiving more cases of dengue followed by malaria. Cases of chikungunya, which was an outbreak last year, is not so commonly seen by the doctors in their outpatient department.

“This year there has also been an increase in the number of malaria cases. For every seven dengue cases that I receive, I receive one malaria case. Usually malaria is not this common in Delhi,” said Dr Srikant Sharma, senior consultant of medicine at Moolchand hospital.

According to the MCD report, city hospitals have reported 712 cases of malaria, of which 340 patients were Delhi residents. Hospitals have also reported 432 cases of chikungunya, of which 259 patients are residents of Delhi.