New Delhi: With over 1,900 fresh dengue cases and 12 deaths reported in the last one week, the total number of people suffering from the vector-borne fever has climbed to 3,791.


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The official death toll, according to a municipal report released today has shot up to 17, even though unofficially the figure stands at over 20.


The latest victim of dengue was a 36-year-old woman from east Delhi who passed away last night at a private hospital here. Out of the total number of cases reported till September 19, at least 2,960 of them were recorded this month only.


Till September 12, at least 1,872 cases and five official deaths due to dengue were reported. The 1,919 new cases thus mark a rise of over 102 per cent in the last one week though the Delhi government claims that the health situation in response to the vector-borne disease has "improved".


"Now the health situation is better and we are winning the battle against dengue as the situation is improving," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia yesterday said.


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


However, till September 19, 2010, the corresponding number of total cases was 2,728, more than a thousand less than reported during the same period this year.


In the same duration, 75 cases were registered in 2014 while in 2013 it stood at 1,355. Over 30 cases were recorded in 2012 while 2011 saw 189 cases.


Out of the total cases, north Delhi recorded the highest at 1,293, south Delhi at 1,074 while east Delhi posted the lowest with 393 cases. Of all civic zones in the city, Rohini Zone of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has recorded the highest number with 291 cases.


As per the report, 434 cases were reported from areas outside the jurisdiction of the municipal corporations in the city. While 96 cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh, 36 of those diagnosed with the disease came from Haryana.


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


Till September 19, the number of houses found positive for mosquito breeding stood at 1,87,691 while number of prosecution launched in the same period is 16,999, according to South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which compiles the report on behalf of all civic bodies.


Though the municipal corporations, in a rather delayed response have gone into conducting prevention drives, the "ill-preparedness" on part of the civic bodies has drawn flak from several quarters.


"Now, they are busy fumigating the area, running special drives and creating awareness when the cases have reached such an alarming proportion. They (MCD) should have been alert beforehand and taken appropriate measures," said Gopal Jha, a resident of Ber Serai area in south Delhi, who had contracted the disease earlier this season.