67 new patients in a day, dengue cases reach 741 in Delhi

Incidence of dengue increased alarmingly in the national capital today as 67 more patients tested positive for the vector-borne disease, taking the total number of cases to 741.

The national capital has recorded two confirmed and three suspected dengue deaths this season.

According to MCD, there are 67 new cases since yesterday. Among the total 741 cases so far, 621 have been reported from MCD areas, 88 from NDMC areas and the rest were from other parts of the city and outstation cases.

Among the fresh cases, the highest 20 have come from MCD Shahdara North Zone followed by Civil Lines Zone (15).

The MCD said it has deployed additional staff to tackle the situation in worst-hit Central and South Delhi, from where 258 cases have been reported so far. It is also maintaining round-the-clock surveillance near all the Commonwealth Games venues, municipal commissioner KS Mehra said.

According to statistics released by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the number of cases till this time in 2009 were only four. The figure was 67 and 17 in the same periods in 2008 and 2007 respectively.

Authorities are more worried about the spread of dengue as the city will host the Games in October, a month which generally sees high prevalence of the disease.

Mehra said dengue outbreak follows a cyclic pattern and the cases show an increase every four years.

"The last time the disease reached a peak in the city was in 2006. Along with this, Games' construction work, intermittent rains and humid weather have made it conducive for mosquito breeding," he said.

According to the MCD, in the previous years, the number of dengue cases and deaths were 1,153 and 3 (2009), 1,312 and 2(2008), 548 and 1 (2007) and 3,366 and 36 (2006).