66 cases last week fuel dengue outbreak fears in Delhi

NEW DELHI: With nearly 120 dengue cases reported this season, fears of a possible outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease have gripped municipal corporations and health officials. In their latest report, the civic bodies have reported 66 fresh cases in the past one week.

With this, the total number of dengue cases this season, as on August 8, has gone up to 119. The corresponding figure for previous years is: 23 cases in 2014, 41 (2013), 10 (2012) and 38 (2011).

The North Corporation has also confirmed the death of a three-year-old boy from Inderpuri last month to be a dengue casualty. A few others are still being investigated to confirm whether the disease caused the fatalities, according to the corporation.

“The three-year-old was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital on July 2 and died on July 10. The death notification was given on July 16. Since the ELISA test was found positive in the case, this is the first official death, according to municipal norms,” said an official.

On August 5, a 10-year-old girl from Manipur had died after a week of high fever in south Delhi. The South Corporation did not consider the case as the ELISA test was not conducted on her.

According to the municipal norm, only ELISA test confirmed cases are taken in the official death count from the disease.

A senior official of the North Corporation said the situation is worrisome and urgent steps, including large-scale awareness campaign, are needed to check the impact.

Dengue, termed by experts as the world’s most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease, follows a cyclical trend in which there is a surge in the number of cases every three to five years. In the past decade, outbreaks have been reported in 2006 and 2010.

It is caused by four serotypes. While type I and III are milder in nature causing classic dengue fever and fever without shock, respectively, type II and IV are considered deadly. These cause fever, bleeding and a drop in platelet count. Researchers say the presence of all four serotypes could be behind increased frequency of the disease outbreak.

Unprecedented growth in population, unplanned and rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management could lead to a dengue outbreak.

“The municipal corporations are making tall claims about fumigation and checking breeding of dengue-causing mosquitoes. In my area, no house has been visited by officials. Also, roads are badly damaged and you can find rainwater collection in the dugouts,” said Sushmita Yadav, a resident of Munirka.