36 more dengue cases reported in Capital

Delhi saw season's highest confirmed cases of dengue in a single day on Saturday, with 36 fresh cases. The total number of people affected by the disease reached 384.

Delhi saw season's highest confirmed cases of dengue in a single day on Saturday, with 36 fresh cases. The total number of people affected by the disease reached 384. The number is likely to go up in coming days due to incessant rains in last one week.

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"The rains bring down the temperature which provides perfect climate for the breeding of dengue-causing mosquitoes. In coming days, we fear that the number of patient will be doubled. Though we have deployed extra men as breeding checkers at sensitive places, still 100 per cent control over mosquitoes isn't practical," said Dr V.K. Monga, chairman, public health committee, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The city has reported one death so far.

"There has been a 100 per cent rise in a single day in the number of patients coming to us with dengue and dengue-like illnesses in the past one week. Earlier, I saw 40 such cases, but now the number has reached close to 100," said Dr S.P. Bayotra, chairman, department of medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

According to MCD data, hostels of various universities and locked property of people who mostly stay away are major mosquito breeding places. "Students hardly have time to follow a cleanliness regimen and locked houses mostly have leaking water pipes and tanks that no one has fixed. Our domestic breeding checkers can't access these places," said a senior health official in MCD, who did not wish to be named.