Delhi: Spectre of dengue looms large on city

New Delhi: Delhiites need to be extra cautious this season as early dip in temperatures may also lead to spurt in dengue cases, public health experts from municipal corporations have warned.

Senior civic officials say that cold weather conditions force adult mosquitoes to move indoors in search for warmer environments, especially during the evening period. “The city witnesses its peak dengue-malaria caseload during this season change phase every year. Because of early withdrawal of monsoon and plummeting mercury levels, we will have to start taking precautions early this year,” said an official.

The latest report on vector-borne disease shows that 110 dengue cases have been found in last week alone, which is the highest weekly count this year so far.

“Out of these 110 cases, 94 were patients from various parts of Delhi, 14 acquired the infection from other states and in two cases, the addresses could not be traced,” the report states.

So far, total 489 dengue cases, 206 malaria cases and 74 chikungunya cases have been reported this year. Maximum dengue cases have come from the south Delhi (176), followed by the north (143).

The city on Wednesday witnessed its coldest October night in 26 years when the minimum temperature dropped to 12.5 degrees Celsius. “Mosquitoes prefer warmer environments (above 30 degrees). Once the temperature dips to about 20 degrees, they become less active and they become fully dormant below 10 degrees,” another official explained.