Delhi has crossed the 1,000 mark for dengue, registering 1,259 cases till September 5 with two confirmed deaths due to this vector borne disease.
Compounding the problem for the citizens and civic authorities, the city has also reported 32 cases of malaria so far, officials said.
“We have reported a spurt in dengue this week with the numbers climbing to 1,259 this season,” said a Municipal Health Officer. Civic officials maintain that the unusually long rainy season and the resultant humidity were the reasons for the high incidence of dengue in Delhi this year.
“The city has reported 1,259 dengue cases — the highest after 2010 — till September 5. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), there were only 33 dengue cases till September 5 last year. Delhi has witnessed two dengue deaths this year,” noted an official.
The latest figures follow a report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) that Type 2 and 4 strain of the disease had emerged as the dominant type this season.
“Symptoms of dengue include fever with shock and a drop in platelets and Type 2 causes a severe drop in platelets, haemorrhagic fever, organ failure and dengue shock syndrome. We still cannot call it an outbreak. Type 2 and 4 dengue strains are more virulent and aggressive,” said Dr. Lalit Dhar from AIIMS, Microbiology Department.
The city has reported 1,259 dengue cases — the highest after 2010 — till September 5, said an official
