Big leap in dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases in Delhi; 288 people victimised in 2017

New Delhi: As per a municipal report, Delhi has seen a quantum leap in the number of dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases.

As many as 58 cases of malaria were reported just last week, taking the overall cases in the city this year to 288, the report says.

The total number of dengue cases have also risen to 180 while the chikungunya cases stand at 220 till July 29, it said.

The season for the vector-borne diseases kicked in mid- July and it generally lasts till November-end.

Cases of all the three vector-borne diseases were reported much earlier this time, which doctors had attributed to early arrival of monsoon.

Of the 288 malaria cases, 137 affected people were residents of Delhi while the rest of the cases diagnosed here were traced to other states.

At least 79 cases have been recorded this month.

Of the 220 chikungunya cases, 140 of the affected people were residents of Delhi while the rest of the cases were from other states, it said.

Sixty-three cases of dengue have been reported this month, while 15 were recorded in June.

Dengue and chikungunya are caused by the aedes agypti mosquito, which breeds in clear water.

The anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, can breed in both fresh and muddy water.

(With PTI inputs)