Delhi files 48 malaria cases only in 1st week of Sept

Nearly 50 cases of malaria have been reported in the first week of September taking the total number of people affected by it in the national capital this year to over 200, according to the latest municipal report.

The number of dengue cases recorded till September 7 stood at 122, with 30 of these reported this month and 52 in August.

Of the 202 malaria cases, 48 were reported in September, 56 in August, 54 in July, 35 in June, eight in May and just one case in April. According to the report released on Monday, 40 cases of chikungunya have also been reported this year.

Last year, 2,798 dengue cases and four deaths were recorded by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates the data on vector-borne diseases in the city.

Both the Delhi government and the local bodies have been making efforts to raise awareness on precautions to ensure that there is no breeding of mosquito larvae around them.

The Arvind Kejriwal government has started an anti-dengue campaign '10Hafte 10Baje 10Minute' urging people to inspect their house for any standing water.

The campaign -- from September 1 and November 15 -- to combat dengue has garnered support from several personalities, including cricket legend Kapil Dev, many Bollywood actors and well-known journalists.

During a press conference on Sunday, Kejriwal had said, "In five years, the number of dengue cases reported have come down by 80 per cent. We have tried to reduce it even further. This year, fortunately, there is no spike in it and it is because all people have come together, from Delhi government to Centre and MCD".

Dengue mosquito larvae breed in clear, standing water while those of malaria mosquito thrive even in dirty water. Doctors have advised people to take precautions and ensure that there is no breeding of mosquito larvae around them. They have urged people to wear full-sleeves and use mosquito nets.

Water coolers should be dried up when not in use as mosquitoes carrying dengue virus usually breed there, a doctor said.

Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch to mid-December.

Meanwhile, mosquito-breeding has been reported in at least 1,06,948 households and 90,461 legal notices have been issued this year.

Last year, 473 cases of malaria and 165 cases of chikungunya were reported.

According to the SDMC, 10 people had died due to dengue in Delhi in 2017, of whom five were not residents of the national capital. Overall, the vector-borne disease had affected 9,271 people in the city in 2017.