Capital gets season's first dengue case

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday officially notified one of the two dengue cases reported earlier as this season's first case from the Capital. HT reports.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday officially notified one of the two dengue cases reported earlier as this season's first case from the Capital. The All-India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) had deemed these two cases positive last week.

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The person, who reportedly is an undergraduate medical student from AIIMS, resides in the hospital campus. The health department officials of the civic agency have written to the dean of the hospital to take precautionary measures to check the spread of the disease.

"Every year the disease starts from AIIMS. We have written to them that if they are unable to control it on their own, we can provide them the necessary help," said Dr VK Monga, chairperson, public health committee, MCD.

Two people had tested positive last week from AIIMS; however, the other person had contracted the disease in West Bengal and will not be counted as the Delhi case.

Doctors consider March to be too early for the start of the disease. But the rainy weather that the city saw last month, could be a reason for the dengue mosquito having become active.

"Though the mosquito is around all through the year, it is a very unusual time of the year to have dengue. However, it gets active the moment it finds conducive environment like rains and slight warmth," said Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, head of department, internal medicine, Max hospital.