Delhi reports 29 dengue cases due to rains in May

Experts said spells of rainfall, which creates breeding grounds for the aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the infection, could be a reason for the higher dengue cases this year so far

Delhi has reported 29 cases of the mosquito-borne disease dengue between January and May, the highest in this period in the four years, according to the municipal corporations of Delhi. Of this, 10 cases were reported in April and 12 in May, which is slightly higher than usual.

A field worker spraying for mosquitoes in Okhla, in New Delhi. (HT file)

Experts said the cases reported early in the year are not indicative of whether there is likely to be an outbreak.

As many as 40 dengue cases were reported in May 2017, which was not an outbreak year for dengue. The year ended with just over 4,700 cases and 10 deaths. Only 11 cases were reported till May 2015, when Delhi had one of its worst dengue outbreaks that affected nearly 16,000 and killed 60.

Experts said spells of rainfall, which creates breeding grounds for the aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the infection, could be a reason for the higher dengue cases this year so far. The dengue-causing mosquito breeds in cleaner, stagnant water, and its number explodes when there are spells of rain followed by warm days.

The Delhi government after the dengue outbreak in 2015 started training schoolchildren to check the breeding of mosquitoes in their homes and neighbourhoods.

So far, the city has also reported 29 malaria and four chikungunya cases.