185 dengue cases in Oct, total mounts to 467

The cases of dengue have spiked in the national capital with at least 111 of those being reported in the last one week, taking the total number of people affected by the vectorborne disease this year in Delhi to 467, according to a municipal report released on Monday. However, the Delhi government said that the dengue cases are down to half in comparison to last year so far.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday thanked Delhiites for their enthusiastic participation in the ongoing dengue prevention awareness — “the 10 Hafte 10 Baje 10 Minute campaign” — urging people to inspect their houses for any standing water.

To combat dengue, the campaign has garnered support from several personalities including cricket legend Kapil Dev, many Bollywood actors, and well-known journalists.

During a press conference on Sunday, Mr Kejriwal had said, “In five years, the number of dengue cases reported has come down by 80 per cent. We have tried to reduce it

The number of malaria cases recorded till October 12 has also risen to 459, it said, according to the MCD report. It says 91 cases of malaria have been recorded this month till October 12 alone.

even further.”

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, meanwhile, said that chief minister Kejriwal’s tall claims on dengue control have fallen flat. “Dengue has broken all the records this year. It is apprehended that the incidence of this disease will steeply go up as climate would favour their growth,” Mr Gupta added.

He warned that unless the government takes up effective measures, it will be difficult to control the situation in the coming days. He urged the chief minister to ensure adequate number of special beds, platelets, and medicines in the hospitals.

The number of malaria cases recorded till October 12 has also risen to 459, it said. According to report, 91 cases of malaria have been recorded this month till October 12 while September saw 214 cases.

According to the report, at least 118 cases of chikungunya have also been reported this year. Last year, 2,798 dengue cases and four deaths were recorded by the SDMC. It had also reported 473 cases of malaria and 165 cases of chikungunya.

Both the Delhi government and local bodies have been making efforts to raise awareness on precautions to ensure that there is no breeding of mosquito larvae.