Cases of mosquito-borne diseases are increasing rapidly these days in many states of the country including Maharashtra, Kerala, and Karnataka. Maharashtra has been the most affected state by dengue so far this year. Dengue cases are breaking records here till July itself. Compared to last year, this time there has been a jump of up to 83 percent in dengue cases in the state in the first seven months of the year.
While 3,164 cases were reported in Maharashtra till July last year, 5,776 cases have been registered in the first seven months of this year, which is almost double. Health experts have advised all people to be careful about the danger of mosquito-borne diseases.
Apart from Maharashtra, dengue cases are also being reported in Karnataka and Kerala. In such a situation, questions arise what is the situation of dengue in Delhi? Are the cases of infection increasing here too, let us know about this from the doctors of Delhi.
Dengue and its threat
If we look at the media reports, it is known that the threat of dengue is increasing in the national capital Delhi-NCR as well. Health experts have alerted about mosquito-borne diseases due to rain and waterlogging.
Data from the National Center for Disease Control showed that 9,266 cases of dengue and 19 deaths were recorded in the national capital last year (in 2023). At the same time, this year, more than 260 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi till July, which is almost double the 136 cases recorded in the same period last year.
Health experts say all people need to remain constantly cautious about the threat of dengue.
What do Delhi doctors say?
Dr. Virendra Singh of the ICU department in a Delhi-based hospital says dengue is being diagnosed in patients coming to OPD in many hospitals in Delhi. At present, the number of patients being admitted is low. Data also shows that many states, including Delhi, are seeing more cases of infection this year than before. We are already cautious about the dangers of the disease.
At the same time, according to the information received from the hospital in Greater Noida, some people have been admitted due to dengue in the last week. However, the need for serious conditions like low platelets or ICU admission is not being seen at the moment.
Cases reached a record in July
In a virtual meeting convened by central health officials last week, Union Health Secretary Apoorva Chandra said that although dengue cases usually peak in October, trends till July 31 this year show that the number of cases is almost much higher than the same period last year. Given the risks, we need to be extra cautious this time.
What to do to prevent dengue?
Health experts say, during the rainy season, water accumulates under pots, tires, broken utensils, or plastic sheets over slums. All these are ideal breeding places for mosquitoes. Stagnant water in puddles and blocked drains also becomes a suitable breeding ground for the Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue. Taking measures to prevent water from accumulating can help reduce the risk of dengue to a great extent.
(PC: Freepik)
