Vector-borne cases dip over past week, MCD’s anti-mosquito drive hit by staff strike

With 182 malaria cases reported so far this month, the tally accounts for nearly one-third of this year’s total.

After weeks of steady increase, the number of new malaria, dengue, and chikungunya cases reported in Delhi saw a marginal dip last week, though October remains the most active month yet for vector-borne infections.

MCD employees protesting last week in front of Civic Centre. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) anti-mosquito operations, meanwhile, have slowed down significantly due to an ongoing strike by multi-tasking staff (MTS) workers of its public health department, now in its 26th day. The employees, who conduct anti-mosquito breeding drives, have been demanding equal pay, compensatory jobs for dependents of workers who die before retirement, and the provision of medical and earned leave.

According to the MCD’s vector-borne disease report for the week of October 12–18, the city recorded 59 new malaria cases, 75 new dengue cases, and 15 new chikungunya cases. This has taken the cumulative count this year to 553 malaria cases, 994 dengue cases, and 106 chikungunya cases. So far, no deaths have been officially attributed to these diseases.

The monthly distribution of recorded cases shows a sharp rise in infections through October. With 182 malaria cases reported so far this month, the tally accounts for nearly one-third of this year’s total. In comparison, September saw 136 malaria cases and August 100. Similarly, 235 dengue cases have been recorded in October so far, nearly matching the September figure of 260 and exceeding August’s 208.

Several cases remain untraced, largely because of incomplete patient information, inability to locate patients, or the possibility that the infection was contracted outside Delhi.

So far this year, 378 malaria cases and 1,529 dengue cases remain untraced. Delhi had registered 587 malaria cases in 2024, 284 in 2023, 130 in 2022, and 92 in 2021, up to October 18. Dengue cases during the same period were far higher in previous years with 2,587 cases in 2024, 3,955 in 2023, 1,159 in 2022, and 488 in 2021.

Due to the ongoing strike, mosquito-control measures have dropped sharply. MCD data shows that between October 12 and 18, only 73,250 house visits were made and 1,028 mosquito-breeding sites detected. In the preceding week, ending October 11, the numbers stood at 75,356 house visits and 1,102 sites. Both figures are a fraction of the week before the strike, ending September 27, when over 943,000 house visits were carried out and 11,307 breeding sites identified.

An MCD official said the civic body has held several meetings with MTS representatives but no resolution has been reached. “The MCD told us that if they equalize our salary, then they will have to do the same for all other MTS workers across departments. However, we are not going to end our strike until our demands are met,” said Devandand Sharma, general secretary of the union of Domestic Breeding Checkers, who are part of the MTS.