New Delhi: At least 60 cases of chikungunya have been reported in the national capital this year with nearly half of them registered this month, even as the season of the vector-borne diseases ended in December.
16 cases of dengue have also been reported in the last three months, according to a municipal report released today.
A total of 4,431 cases of dengue were reported till the end of 2016, according to the report by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation which tabulates the data on behalf of all municipal corporations in the city.
Out of the 60 chikungunya cases reported till March 18, 27 of these were recorded this month. In January 20 cases were reported while 13 in February.
Six cases of dengue were reported in January, four in February and six in March till now.
Till January 14, only two chikungnuya cases were reported, while no dengue case had been reported till then.
Chikungunya and dengue cases in the national capital had tapered off by December first week in last year ending the vector-borne disease season in the city that witnessed its outbreak in the last 10 years, but cases are still being registered.
The municipal authorities recently called an all-hands workshop on prevention and control of vector-borne diseases to finalise a comprehensive action plan for combating the menace in the coming season.
In the workshop, SDMC Commissioner P K Goel had asked officials to “identify the cases of dengue and chikungunya coming to Delhi from other states.”
At least 15 fatalities were reported last year at various hospitals in the city due to complications triggered by chikungunya, though the civic bodies have kept the death tally at zero.
At least 21 deaths due to dengue were reported last year at various hospitals, including nine at AIIMS, though the official tally of the SDMC stood at 10.
17 suspected deaths in 2016 due to malaria were also reported by the civic bodies .
In one of the worst outbreak, a total of 12,221 cases were reported in Delhi till December 24, 2016 out of which 9,749 were confirmed.
The season for the vector-borne diseases begins from mid-July and generally lasts till November-end.
—-PTI