Health minister to chair review meeting on dengue amid rising cases in Delhi

With the onset of the monsoon every year, the city sees a dengue outbreak, which usually ends as the winter season arrives. However, this year, the city is seeing a major uptick in cases which is still continuing.

Union minister for health Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a review meeting on Monday as the dengue cases in Delhi are seeing an alarming surge, officials said. The meeting will be held at 10am, according to the officials. During the meeting, the health minister will also discuss ways on how the Centre can assist the Delhi government led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in curbing the surge in cases.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya addresses a press conference in New Delhi. (HT file photo)

The meeting will also see participation from the officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).

With the onset of the monsoon every year, the city sees a dengue outbreak, which usually ends as the winter season arrives. However, this year, the city is seeing a major uptick in cases which is still continuing.

Doctors said earlier that despite the prevalence of the serotype 2 dengue virus associated with a higher risk of severe disease, most people are not showing severe symptoms.

Dengue virus causes fever and haemorrhagic symptoms and is associated with more severe diseases.

Delhi has reported over 1,000 cases of dengue this year, with more than 280 cases logged in the last week, according to a civic report released on Monday last week.