Another death, dengue cases spike in Delhi

An unusually warm October has caused a spurt in dengue cases in the Capital, with authorities confirming Monday that a 52-year-old succumbed to the disease on October 10, the second such death this year.

An unusually warm October has caused a spurt in dengue cases in the Capital, with authorities confirming Monday that a 52-year-old succumbed to the disease on October 10, the second such death this year. Sureshwar Singh was a resident of Shahdara in northeast Delhi and died at the Max Hospital in Patparganj.

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Delhi has reported 340 confirmed dengue cases and two deaths in 2014, down from 4566 cases in the same period last year. Though the number of cases is lesser this year, relatively high temperatures recently have led to an upsurge in fresh infections.

Dengue cases in the city rose by around 70% last week – 115 new cases compared to 67 the week before.

“The unusually warm temperature is providing conducive environment for mosquitoes to breed. Dengue anyway peaks in October and November so expect more cases,” said a senior researcher at the government’s National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

Temperature has to drop below 16 degree C and remain at that level for three consecutive days for the disease to die out, say experts.

“There’s been a sharp jump in cases over the past fortnight, but most patients recover without needing platelet, meaning the virus is not virulent this season,” said Dr Srikant Sharma at the Moolchand Hospital, which had 106 confirmed dengue cases this year.