Delhi recorded its highest monthly tally of dengue cases this year in August, with 90 infections reported during the month, while the number of malaria and chikungunya cases also rose, according to the latest Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) report.
As many as 311 cases of dengue, 119 malaria and 22 chikungunya infections have been recorded in the capital till August 29 this year, while no death has been reported due to any of the three diseases.
Last week alone, 39 cases of dengue were reported in Delhi, according to the report.
August accounted for 90 of the 311 dengue cases, more than double the 40 cases recorded in July. It was also the highest monthly dengue tally recorded so far this year. April logged the second highest number of cases this year, with 52 infections reported.
Malaria cases also rose sharply in August, with 53 cases reported during the month, compared to 17 in July.
Chikungunya cases remained lower but also saw a rise, with eight cases reported in August, taking the year’s tally to 22 so far. Three chikungunya cases were reported in July.
The West zone recorded the highest number of dengue cases among the MCD’s 12 zones, with 47 cases, followed by Shahdara North with 32, and Central with 39.
For malaria, South Delhi had the highest tally at 22, followed by West with 22, and Central with 16.
However, recent figures from the Delhi government paint a very different picture. Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh told reporters last week that 2,200 cases of dengue had been detected till August 25. There is no explanation for the inconsistency in figures by the government and the MCD.
As part of mosquito-control measures, till August 29, MCD teams have made more than 2.56 crore house visits to check for mosquito breeding.
Breeding was detected in 1.15 lakh houses, while nearly 5.77 lakh houses were fumigated.
The MCD said it had issued 90,536 legal notices for mosquito-breeding conditions and launched 7,501 prosecutions during the year.
