680 DENGUE CASES LAST WEEK

NEW DELHI: With 680 cases of Dengue reported in the national capital over the last week, the total number of people affected by the disease has reached to 4,545 this season, according to a Municipal report released on Monday.

The number of people affected by malaria this year till September 7, has climbed to 1,032 in which 37 new cases recorded in a week while the figure for chikungunya stands at 638 with 49 new cases reported previous week.

Of the total 4,545 dengue cases, 2,152 were residents of Delhi, while the rest were from other states. Of the 2,152 Delhi cases, 345 were reported this month, the report said.

Dengue has claimed one life in the city during the season so far. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between mid-july and November-end. This year, however, it has been much earlier. Doctors attribute this to an early monsoon. Dengue and chikungunya are caused by the aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in clear water. The female anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, can breed in both fresh and muddy water.

The National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) had already found two new species of Anopheles stephensi (urban vector) and Anopheles culicifacies (rural vector) circulating this year. The parasitic infection was lying dormant after mutating, but it has made a comeback after a gap of five years at a time when Delhi is already reeling under the scourge of dengue and chikungunya.

Experts have raised the red flag after the resurgence of this deadly parasite and have advised government agencies to take adequate measures to arrest the spread of this deadly infectious disease that can play havoc with people’s health.

According to the SDMC, mosquito breeding has been reported from 1,80,687 households in Delhi. All the three municipal corporations in the city have stepped up awareness drives, distributing pamphlets and plying vehicles with loudspeakers announcing dos and don’ts for prevention.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the city has banned over-the-counter sale of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as Aspirin and Brufen as their use may “pose a threat” to dengue and chikungunya patients.

At least 21 deaths due to dengue were reported last year from various city hospitals, including nine at AIIMS, though the official figure of the civic bodies stood at 10.

Seventeen deaths, suspected to be due to malaria, were also reported by civic bodies last year.

At least 15 fatalities were reported last year from various city hospitals due to complications triggered by chikungunya.