Dengue: Nearly 1,850 fresh cases in 1 week; total over 12,500

New Delhi: With nearly 1,850 fresh dengue cases reported in the last one week, the total number of people down with the vector-borne fever in the city this year has mounted to 12,531.

The civic administration has maintained its official death toll at 32 till October 17, according to a municipal report on the vector-borne disease released today. However, unofficially the number of dengue victims has crossed 40.

September alone has seen 6,775 cases, also the highest in the last six years. Incidentally, no cases had been reported in the first three days of this month.

Out of the total cases till that period, south Delhi recorded the highest at 2,659, north Delhi at 2,638 while east Delhi posted the lowest with 1,551 cases.

Of all civic zones in the city, Najafgarh Zone of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has recorded the highest number with 846 cases.

Besides, 1,975 people who diagnosed positive for the deadly disease came from outside of Delhi.

"At least 1,848 dengue cases have been recored in the last one week. But, cases will start coming down now, after Dussehra, as a lot of mosquitoes would be destroyed during festive fireworks," as senior SDMC official said.

With the number of cases standing at over 12,500, the dengue outbreak this year has become the worst outbreak since 1996. That year, 10,252 cases and 423 deaths were reported.

The figure for the total number of cases had crossed the 1996-mark on October 10 only, with 10,683 people down with the deadly virus.

In 2010, 6,259 total cases were recorded and only eight deaths were officially reported throughout the year.

995 cases were registered in entire 2014 while in 2013 it stood at 5574. Over 2,000 cases were recorded in 2012, while 2011 saw 1,131 cases.

Last year, the city had reported three deaths and recorded nearly 1,000 cases.

Till October 17, the number of houses found positive for mosquito breeding stood at 2,22,732 while the number of prosecution launched in the same period was 21,493, as per SDMC, which compiles the report on behalf of all civic bodies.