With 1360 cases, Mumbai reports spike in dengue infections in September

Mumbai recorded 1360 cases of dengue in September, an increase of more than 300 over the previous month, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Tuesday.

Ravi Raja, former opposition leader in the civic body, claimed that the civic body's insecticide department was detecting more than 900 mosquito breeding spots every day. Dengue, a viral infection, spreads through mosquitoes.

As per the civic body's monsoon-related diseases report, the metropolis had recorded 353 dengue cases in June, and 413 in July.

"A slight rise is observed in dengue cases this week," the report said.

Raja, who belongs to the Congress, claimed in a post on X that "we don't see any consistent and serious efforts on behalf of @mybmc to fight with menace like dengue."

As per the BMC report, malaria cases also increased in September. The city reported 676, 721, 1080 and 1313 cases of malaria in June, July, August and September, respectively.

Cases of leptospirosis, gastro, hepatitis and chikungunya, however, dipped in September, it said.

It detected 16,843 Aedes mosquito breeding spots after inspecting more than 12.23 lakh households and 13.07 lakh containers in September.

City residents should use mosquito nets at night and wear complete clothing to avoid mosquito bites, keep the surroundings clean and ensure that no mosquito breeding takes place in plastic or other containers, the BMC said.