A report released by the municipal corporations on Monday confirmed a “whooping rise” in the number of chikungunya cases, with over 423 cases being recorded till now.
The report further says that between August 20 and August 27, 412 cases of chikungunya were recorded in the city, taking the tally for 2016 to 432 so far. In comparison, there were only 20 cases recorded from January 1 till August 20.
Not just chikunguniya, other vector borne cases including dengue and malaria, also continued to rise as the monsoon provided mosquitoes favourable conditions for breeding.
In the past week, 176 new dengue cases were registered, taking the total number for 2016 to 487.Amidst the sad scenario a small consolation came when it was reported that number of cases till August 27 this year were about half of the numbers reported for the same time last year, a record 15,867 dengue cases.
Adding to the woes, the municipal officials said that it was highly unlikjely that the spread would slow down, as much water has been collected on roads during the incessant rain in the capital.
D.K. Seth, the director of hospital administration of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said though there had been a spike in infections of vector-borne diseases, there was “no outbreak”.
“The weather is conducive for mosquito breeding, so there has been a rise in chikungunya, dengue and malaria cases. However, it is not at the level of the outbreak last year,” added Dr. Seth.
He added that chikungunya was less dangerous than dengue, in the sense that it rarely leads to fatalities. However, it does affect patients severely, leaving them with pain in the joints and swelling.
