28 dengue cases in Delhi, at least 15 reported in June

At least 28 cases of dengue have been reported in the national capital with 15 of them in the month of June, according to a municipal report released on Monday.

May witnessed six cases of the vector-borne disease and 15 cases till June 25, it said.

Last year, the city saw a staggering 15,867 dengue cases, the worst in 20 years, even as the disease also claimed 60 lives, according to the municipal reports.

During 1996, a severe outbreak of dengue had occurred in Delhi wherein about 10,252 cases and 423 deaths were reported.

In 2010, besides over 6,200 cases, only eight deaths were officially reported. The Commonwealth Games was held that year and massive construction works in the city was a major factor in the spread of the disease.

This year, dengue cases have been reported rather early and relatively in larger numbers. From June 1-25 last year only only six cases were reported.

Thirteen cases were reported till May this year taking the total number of cases so far in the city to 28, a senior civic official said.

No case has been reported from any of the zones under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation while Najafgarh Zone of SDMC has recorded two cases, a senior SDMC official said.

SDMC compiles dengue report on behalf of all the civic bodies in the city.

The civic body has reported 4 cases overall while East Delhi Municipal Corporation has recorded one. Of the total number of cases this year, two were reported from areas outside the jurisdiction of the three municipal corporations.

While 9 cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh, one of those diagnosed with the disease came from Haryana, and 11 of them came from other states.

The number of houses where breeding of mosquitoes were found are— 6,786 (NDMC), 19,366 (SDMC) and 2,605 (EDMC). And, number of prosecution launched respectively in these areas were —354, 844 and 64, the report said.

As part of its preventive measure against the deadly disease, NDMC had last month launched a drive and sought to popularise the use of a specially-made cooler and the plant Agave Americana.

Named 'dengue-free cooler' and designed by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the NDMC claims, they are equipped with facilities to reduce breeding of mosquitoes inside it.

A net placed above the water tank of the cooler keeps away mosquitoes from breeding in water, NDMC Commissioner P K Gupta said.