At 123, malaria cases highest in four years; 50% jump from 2023

Gurgaon: With a count of 123, Haryana has recorded its highest number of malaria cases in four years.

Official data shows that cases have risen 48% since last year, when the state logged 83 cases of the vector-borne disease. 2022 saw 52 cases, and the tally was 54 in 2021 and 111 in 2020.

The state has not recorded any fatalities from the illness for years. The last time that Haryana reported deaths linked to malaria was in 2015, when three patients died.

The districts with most cases this year are Sonipat (31), Jhajjar (19), Hisar (18), Panchkula (17) and Faridabad (14). Gurgaon did not report any case, and it hasn't for the past two years.

Doctors said on Sunday that an erratic and extended monsoon could be among the reasons for this spike in cases.

Malaria spreads easily during the rainy season as stagnant pools of water after showers allow breeding of the anopheles mosquito, which causes the disease.

"The monsoon season, while refreshing and essential, also brings significant health risks due to stagnant water, which serves as a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes. Such water sources can lead to a rise in vector-borne diseases," said Dr Muzamil Sultan of the department of emergency and critical care medicine at Marengo Asia Hospitals in Gurgaon.

Fever, headache, gastrointestinal problems, muscle or joint pain and nausea are common symptoms of malaria.

Dr Sultan said people should take preventive measures such as using disinfectants, not leaving out water in containers, using mosquito-repellants, etc.

Health department officials told TOI on Sunday that they are carrying out awareness campaigns and geo-tagging hotspots where patients have been diagnosed with the illness.

"This aids in comparison with past surveys to discern if there are intersections and outbreaks in various districts," a senior health department official from Chandigarh said.

The official added that "poor hygienic conditions in several districts are responsible for the rise in malaria cases".