City sees second suspected dengue death

Mumbai reports second suspected dengue death, with a surge in cases this year. BMC denies the death was due to dengue but takes measures to control spread.

Mumbai: The city reported a second suspected dengue death at Parel’s Global Hospital on July 25.

HT Image

The doctors said the 70-year-old man had multiple comorbidities and was on blood thinners.

“The man was admitted last week and tested positive for dengue. He passed away on July 25,” a hospital official said, adding he had low platelet counts and internal bleeding.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health officials, however, denied that the man died due to dengue.

Earlier, a 49-year-old woman died at Bombay hospital on July 22.

The city has been grappling with a surge in dengue cases this year, with significant numbers even before the monsoon season began. As per the latest BMC data, between July 1 and 23, the city recorded 406 cases, surpassing the 353 cases reported in June.

Dengue cases typically rise in the months of September and October. The Aedes mosquitoes-carrier of the dengue virus and chikungunya virus, is found in stagnant freshwater.

The BMC health department revealed that there has not been a sharp increase in dengue cases compared to the previous week (July 9 to 16). Nevertheless, authorities are taking measures to control the spread of the disease. The pest control department has undertaken inspections of over 11 lakh houses and more than 12 lakh water containers between July 1 and 23. During these inspections, they detected and destroyed 13,319 mosquito breeding sites.