New Delhi: With dengue cases on the rise
despite a chill in the air, another mosquito-borne disease
chikungunya is becoming a cause of concern for authorities in
the city as the number of affected people has shot up to 54.
According to MCD officials, there has been an
unprecedented increase in the number of chikungunya cases.
"Dengue no doubt is a cause of worry but there has been a
sudden rise in chikungunya cases. It has reached 54. Last
year, around this time, the number of cases were only 33.
People should check for mosquito breeding in their houses,"
said Dr V K Monga, chairman of Municipal Corporation of
Delhi's public health committee.
Meanwhile another 23 people tested positive for dengue
virus since yesterday.
"In the past one day, hospitals have diagnosed 23 dengue
cases and the total number of people affected by it now stands
at 820," said Monga.
With people also testing positive for Japanese
encephalitis in the city, the Delhi government and the MCD
have decided to collect 500 blood samples of pigs to check
presence of virus in them. Fourteen Japanese encephalitis
infection cases have been detected in the city in two months.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, November 03, 2011, 21:19