Dengue cases on rise in city

Experts have attributed the spurt in dengue cases in the city — with seven deaths reported since August and nearly 130 suspected cases this month — to the monsoon as accumulated rainwater is ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Between September 1 and 13, two dengue deaths were reported in the city. At the same time, 2,572 cases of dengue and 450 cases of chikungunya have been reported in the state. In August, 103 dengue and 1,010 malaria cases were reported across civic hospitals in Mumbai. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) insecticide department claimed to have destroyed 6,977 mosquito-breeding sites between June and August this year. The BMC epidemiology report from September 1 to September 11 said, “4,607 cases of fever, 315 cases of malaria, 9 confirmed cases of leptospirosis, 122 confirmed cases of dengue, 249 cases of gastro, 63 cases of hepatitis, and one of Cholera.”

It further read, “As per the report received till September 11, 2016, the probable dengue cases are 1,513 and probable leptospirosis cases are 111.”

The BMC health department said that the past few weeks had witnessed a rise in dengue cases. Dr Mini Khetrapal, in-charge of BMC’s epidemiology department, said, “Yes, there has been a rise in dengue cases. But as compared to last year, it is less; in the same week last year, it was 248 whereas this time, it is 122. Mosquito-breeding proliferates during August and September as pools of stagnant rainwater are formed.”

Two suspected dengue deaths were reported between September 1 and September 13 in the city. Of the two, one was a 45-year-old woman hailing from outside Mumbai who had come to her son’s place for 10 days and started complaining of fever, headache and giddiness. She was admitted to Powai Hospital on August 30 where she was diagnosed with dengue with low platelets, from where she was shifted to Neptune Hospital, Dombivali, and from there, to Nair Hospital.

Her condition deteriorated and she succumbed to dengue on September 8. The other suspected dengue death was of a 17-year-old boy from Kurla who passed away at a local municipal hospital.

In August, 103 dengue and 1,010 malaria cases were reported across civic hospitals in Mumbai. Aedes mosquito, the carrier of the dengue virus, attacks during the day.