Temperature down, but dengue cases up in National Capital

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Even with the onset of winter when conditions become unfavourable for the breeding of mosquito larvae, dengue cases have mounted to 2,774 this year a municipal report said Monday.

Dengue has been on a consistent rise in the city breaking last year’s record where 81 cases were reported in December 2017. Halfway through the month, 117 cases have already been reported (till December 15).

42 fresh cases of Dengue were reported in the Delhi/NCR region last week. At least four people, including a minor boy, have died in the city due to the vector-borne disease this year till December second week. Authorities fear that this rise will break several records from previous years.

1,062 dengue cases were reported in the month of November — the highest cases in the month of November in the last six years. The number of cases of dengue in November in 2017 and 2016 was 816 and 655 respectively.

Also, two cases of malaria and three of chikungunya have been reported till December 15 taking the total number of malaria and chikungunya cases to 473 and 164 respectively, the report said.

Overall, the number of cases for the three diseases have gone down compared to last year where 556 and 575 cases of chikungunya and malaria were reported by this time last year. This time, the figures are at 164 and 473 chikungunya and malaria respectively. 4704 cases of dengue were reported by this time last year.

Apart from the vector-borne diseases, the capital is witnessing a rise in viral fever cases due to changing weather.

“The earliest recognizable symptoms of a viral infection are often fatigue and body ache. This may be followed by the onset of fever. In most cases, fever is accompanied by a sore throat, running nose, nasal stuffiness, and red eyes. A headache is also a common symptom of viral infection. Vomiting and diarrhoea may be present in some cases,” said Doctor Rajesh Bhudiraja, Internal Medicine, Asian Institute of Medical Science.