Sharp spike in Gurugram’s dengue cases: 22 recorded in one day

A total of 147 cases were reported over the last month, health department officials said, adding no death from dengue has been reported in the district so far

In a sudden spike in dengue in the district, 22 fresh cases were reported on Monday, the vector-borne disease report issued by the health department said. This year, the first dengue case in Gurugram was reported in the last week of July, and since September, at least 10 cases have been reported every week.

To be sure,the highest number of dengue cases that Gurugram witnessed was in 2015, when 451 people were infected. (HT Archive)

A total of 147 cases were reported over the last month, health department officials said, adding no death from dengue has been reported in the district so far.

Experts say the increase in cases is due to the water logging in the city caused by the monsoon and four days of incessant rain.

“There is a sudden spile in dengue cases due to water accumulation in several places after continuous rainfall in the city. It is important to keep a check in your neighbourhood to ensure there is no mosquito breeding site. People are advised to wear full sleeves and covering clothes,” Dr Rajiv Dang, senior director and department head of internal medicine and medical director at Max Hospital, said.

To be sure,the highest number of dengue cases that Gurugram witnessed was in 2015, when 451 people were infected. The figure stood at 86 in 2016, 66 in 2017 and 93 the next year. While 22 cases were reported in 2019, 51 cases were registered a year later. In 2021, 327 cases were reported, according to health department officials.

The district health department on Monday identified 20 hot spots—located in areas such as Wazirabad, Sector 28, Sector 39, Sector 45, Sikanderpur, Sector 54 and Sector 38—where dengue cases are mostly reported every year. Officials said they formed teams comprising doctors, nurses and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to visit the residential areas from where a high number of cases have been reported, and teams of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram have started clearing mosquito breeding spots there.

Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurugram, said that teams are also involved in anti-mosquito larvae spraying and fogging drives in hot spots and are keeping an eye on areas with high incidences of dengue. “Most cases are reported in two months—September and October—and we have been monitoring the situation,” he said.

He added that presently 58 people are admitted to hospitals, including 36 to government ones. “Dengue cases have been reported from Wazirabad primary heath centre (PHC) area, which caters to the most number of residents (170,000 people) in the district. At least 64 patients visited the OPD on Monday complaining of fever, but did not require hospitalisation. The team collected 32 suspected samples, checked 5,831 houses across the district, and found larvae in 55 houses. Each PHC has four doctors, five nurses and 16 teams, plus one ASHA worker and one Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM),” he said.

Officials said that blood sampling for dengue has begun at all health centres and its capacity increased in OPDs and flu corners to facilitate early diagnosis, he added.

Yadav said that this year the civic body has deployed 60 domestic breeding checkers to strengthen source reduction activities during the transmission season. “Thirty-five teams are conducting house-to-house screening in dengue clusters (from where two or more cases have been reported), and localities with active transmission of the infection,” he said.

Last week, the administration issued two helpline numbers — 18001801817 and 0124-44055779 — on which residents can call to request fogging in their areas between 9am and 5pm.