Mumbai: 1,000 dengue cases in October

Mumbai continued to feel the sting of dengue in October, with more than 1,000 patients treated for the vectorborne disease at various public and private hospitals in the city, shows data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation health department on Tuesday.

The city continued to feel the sting of dengue in October, with more than 1,000 patients treated for the vectorborne disease at various public and private hospitals in the city, shows data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health department on Tuesday.

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Usually, by October, the cases begin to decline, but doctors said this year, they treated an average of five to six patients with dengue a day.

Civic officials said a majority of these have been categorised as “suspected or probable” dengue cases as the BMC does not recognise those patients whose dengue tests are performed using “rapid kits.”

Of the 1,216 dengue cases treated this month, only 157 were reported from major public hospitals in the city, which use the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) test for confirming dengue cases.

This year, most dengue cases were reported in September and October, which officials blamed on the extended monsoon.

“We are still admitting patients for dengue on a regular basis. Last October, we saw a handful cases, but this year, we are treating as many cases as we did in September,” said Dr Pratit Samdani, physician, Breach Candy Hospital.

However, civic data shows a drop in confirmed dengue cases in October (157), compared with 168 cases last month.

In the latest case to be reported in the city, TV actor Arun Govil was admitted to Bombay Hospital yesterday with suspected dengue.