Dengue cases continue to rise in Delhi despite dip in temp

MCD report said that the city had 401 cases in which the infection was acquired from other states, 1,293 cases where wrong or incomplete address was provided and 307 cases where the doctor could not be traced.

Despite dip in temperature, Delhi continues to record fresh dengue cases. The city registered 63 new cases last week, taking the total annual count to 1,199 cases till Monday, civic officials said.

Delhi’s minimum temperature on Wednesday stood at 10.4°C, three degrees below normal. It was 10.2°C a day earlier.

The weekly vector borne disease report said that 26 malaria cases and nine chikungunya cases were recorded last week, taking the annual count to 649 and 142, respectively. The capital has so far confirmed only two dengue deaths, while the remaining 13 cases remain pending for review by the death audit committee.

A senior MCD official said that with the dip in temperature over the last week, the case count is expected to go down. “The minimum temperature has already reached around 10’C. The conditions for adult mosquitoes in an open environment are becoming less conducive. However, with relatively warmer ambient temperatures indoors, mosquitoes may survive in houses,” official added.

MCD report added that the city also had 401 cases in which the infection was acquired from other states, 1,293 cases where wrong or incomplete address was provided and 307 cases where the doctor could not be traced. Delhi has seen relatively low cases in corresponding period compared to previous years, with Delhi witnessing 4,061 dengue cases in 2024, 5,241 cases in 2023 and 1,855 cases in 2022.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. While most people who contract dengue do not develop symptoms, those who do typically experience high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. Most recover within 1-2 weeks, but severe cases can be fatal due to hemorrhagic fever, which causes internal bleeding and a sudden drop in blood pressure, potentially leading to death.

Last week, MCD confirmed that two people have died due to complications arising from dengue. The first case was of a 9-year-old male from the Shalimar Bagh area, and the second of a 48-year-old male from the Dilshad Garden area, officials said.

Dengue patients who die in the city are not counted in the official dengue death count, with all such deaths being taken up by a death review committee. The committee analyses cases of suspected dengue deaths of Delhi residents and those who arrived in Delhi from neighbouring states seeking treatment or the comorbid factors that led to death.