32 new dengue cases reported, total rises to 171 but actual figures could be higher

NEW DELHI: Thirty-two new cases of dengue were reported from within Delhi by the municipal corporations during the week that ended on August 6. A total of 52 cases

NEW DELHI: Thirty-two new cases of dengue were reported from within Delhi by the municipal corporations during the week that ended on August 6. A total of 52 cases were reported from NCR in the week.

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This takes the total number of dengue cases to 171, according to the MCD data.

However, the number of cases is likely to be more. Only three hospitals in Delhi – Safdarjung, RML and AIIMS — have confirmed 238 cases. The cases have been confirmed after a serology test and not the rapid card test, which throws up false positives 50% of the time.

Only 119 cases had been reported in the same period last year, when Delhi witnessed its worst dengue crisis affecting almost 16,000 people and killing 60. Also, there was a sudden spike in the number of cases in August last year, going up from 36 cases in July to 778 in August.

This year, a disproportionately high number of people afflicted with dengue have been pouring into Delhi for treatment. Of 171 reported cases, 81 are from within the state and 90 from border areas and neighbouring states. Compare this to last year’s data, when only seven of the 119 cases reported were from outside Delhi.

Two weeks on, the report by the civic body, which is released weekly, has not included the death of a 17-year-old from Jafrabad in northeast Delhi, who died due to dengue shock syndrome, according to her death certificate.

The hospitals have also started their “fever corners” and dengue wards to take care of patients who have been pouring in to the hospitals with all kinds of fevers.

On Monday, when the fever corner at Lok Nayak hospital was setup, all 10 observations were full by mid-day. “We have been receiving 8-10 fever cases in the emergency department every hour,” said a doctor from the hospital.