Delhi records 487 dengue cases, 423 of chikungunya as viral fevel grips NCR

NEW DELHI: 487 cases of dengue have so far been reported in the national capital this season, with 368 of them being recorded in August, a municipal report said on Monday. 311 cases of the vector-borne disease were reported till August 20, while 176 cases came to light in last week alone, marking a rise of nearly 57 per cent, said a senior official of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, which compiles dengue report on behalf of all the civic bodies in Delhi. Chikungunya cases in Delhi have also shot up to 423, a massive rise in the figure released by civic authorities, who had reported just 20 cases till last week. According to a municipal report released on Monday, 423 cases have been diagnosed in the national capital till August 27. Safdarjung Hospital has reported nearly 250 cases till August 29. At the AIIMS laboratories, which get blood samples from Delhi and other parts of the country, 362 samples were tested positive for chikungunya during July to August 20. This year, dengue cases were reported rather early. The disease had claimed its first victim on July 21 when a girl from Jafrabad in northeast Delhi died at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital. Doctors have advised people to keep themselves adequately hydrated and not resort to self-medication, and also to go for blood test before rushing to get admitted in hospital. "Only in severe cases should they go for hospitalisation. Also, it is extremely important to note that platelet transfusion is only needed in dengue cases where the platelet count is less than 10,000 and there is active bleeding. Last year, the city saw a staggering 15,867 dengue cases -- the worst in 20 years -- with the disease claiming 60 lives, as per municipal reports. In 2015, only six cases were reported in June, while 36 were registered in July. In 1996, a severe outbreak of dengue had occurred in Delhi when about 10,252 cases and 423 deaths were reported. Chikungunya is also a viral illness and its symptoms are similar to those of dengue, which include high-grade fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain and headache and joint swelling. It also causes rashes in patients but is not a threat like dengue in which there is a risk of bleeding due to abrupt fall in platelet count. The sudden spike in chikungunya cases in Delhi and several other parts of north India, has come nearly 10 years after a big outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease across the country. In 2006, over 13 lakh suspected chikungunya fever cases were reported across the country, according to National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). This year till July 28, 9,990 suspected cases of the disease have been recorded, with Karnataka reporting 7,591 cases.