Delhi logs 300 dengue cases in a week; worldwide cases double than 2023

Delhi has reported over 300 more dengue cases in the past seven days, the official data showed on Tuesday. Last week, the national capital witnessed a spike of nearly 250 cases of dengue in seven days, raising concerns about the rise of mosquito borne diseases.

Last year, Delhi had recorded 3,013 dengue cases, with the total reaching 9,266 by the end of the year. As of September 21 this year, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi reported 651 dengue cases — more than double the 256 cases recorded in August. In September 2023, the total dengue case count in Delhi stands at 2,141.

The data showed that Malaria cases are also on a rise. In September, a total of 363 malaria cases were reported in Delhi. This figure stood at 294 in the corresponding month in 2023 and 426 for the whole year.

Chikungunya cases have also doubled this year. So far, 43 such cases have been reported compared to 23 in 2023. The city has been reporting dengue cases in three digits since August. With the latest data, the total number of cases this year reaches 1,229, with one death. 

Najafgarh has reported the most number of cases at 180, the data showed. These figures do not include patients who acquired the infection and are not Delhi residents, those who gave incomplete or wrong addresses, and addresses where the patient was not found. In a bid to curb the issue, the MCD has been ramping up efforts, including issuing over 1.14 lakh legal notices to offenders.

Dengue cases double globally

Notably, throughout the world, the dengue cases have surged to double in 2024. A total of 12.06 million dengue cases have been reported globally this year, which is more than twice the 2023 levels of 5.27 million, the data from the World Health Organization showed.

Experts fear that the numbers could be higher since the global surveillance network is not comprehensive enough. They say that problems like climate change are making the situation worse. According to the US’ National Library of Medicine, a hotter climate is one of the reasons fueling this surge in cases as mosquitoes multiply in warmer, wetter weather.

In 2022, Delhi had reported just 525 dengue cases.