Pune records 8 suspected dengue deaths this year; PMC to send cases for state review

PMC will refer these cases to the state public health department for the death audit committee to determine if dengue or any other underlying health condition was the cause, and whether the infection was just a trigger or an incidental finding.

Pune: Following the suspected dengue death of a nine-year-old girl at Ruby Hall Clinic on October 18, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) collected and scrutinised data on suspected dengue fatalities reported across the city this year. According to data shared by public and private hospitals, eight suspected dengue deaths were reported between July and October 2026, civic officials said on Monday.

Pune records 8 suspected dengue deaths this year; PMC to send cases for state review

PMC will refer these cases to the state public health department for the death audit committee to determine if dengue or any other underlying health condition was the cause, and whether the infection was just a trigger or an incidental finding.

According to officials, besides the nine-year-old girl who died at Ruby Hall Clinic on October 18, the list of suspected dengue deaths includes a three-year-old boy from Katraj who died on July 23, 2026; a 75-year-old man from Ganj Peth who died on July 18; a 51-year-old man from Tadiwala Road who died on August 6; a 74-year-old woman from Pimple Gurav who died on August 20; a nine-month-old boy from Yerawada who died on August 27; a 24-year-old patient from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar who died on September 9; and a 53-year-old man from Ratnagiri who died on September 14.

Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health chief of PMC, said that although three of the eight patients were from outside the city, they received treatment at hospitals within the civic limits. They are suspected to have contracted the infection near their native homes before coming to Pune for treatment. “As per the hospital records, several patients had underlying health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, liver disease and other serious illnesses. However, the causes of death recorded by hospitals also include complications such as dengue shock syndrome, multiple organ dysfunction and organ failure,” Dighe said.

Officials elaborated that some patients tested positive for dengue, while others had negative results for specific dengue markers or diagnoses pointing to other serious conditions. Hence, they said, the state audit will analyse the clinical records to determine the cause of each death and confirm the actual number of deaths attributable to dengue.