NEW DELHI: With scores of dengue cases being reported in the national capital and Uttar Pradesh, authorities have stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak that has claimed at least 13 lives. Eleven people, including a student of the prestigious AIIMS, have died of dengue in Delhi while two deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh.

A total of 448 cases were reported in the national capital, which saw 121 fresh cases in the past week alone. This marked a sharp increase over the 160 cases reported last year. Uttar Pradesh reported 40 cases of suspected dengue in the past month.

Authorities in Delhi deployed 2,400 additional personnel for fumigation and fogging drives and the city government said it might declare the outbreak as an epidemic. “We will declare it an epidemic if the situation is not brought under control by Tuesday,” Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said after a meeting chaired by Lt Governor B L Joshi to review the situation.

In Uttar Pradesh, chief medical officers in districts were directed to undertake fogging and sprinkling of insecticides. Officials were asked to collect information on dengue patients across the state and to take prompt action to control the situation.

Thirty-five people, including 18 medicos and students, are being treated at AIIMS. Civic authorities have stepped up sanitation drives across Delhi, especially in hospitals, community centres and public places to kill mosquitoes. Several dengue cases were also reported from private hospitals in Noida adjoining the national capital.