With 12 fresh cases of malaria, the total number of people hit by the disease has reached to 90 this year, according to a data released by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Monday. While only two fresh cases of dengue were reported in the city between June 23 and 30, taking the total number of cases to 58. The trend reflects that malaria continues to spread faster than dengue in the national Capital.
The report of SDMC the said domestic breeding checkers have found mosquito-breeding in 42,547 households in the city till June 30. It said 48,521 legal notices have been served for various violations and "3,506 prosecutions have been initiated".
Delhi lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on June 28 directed local bodies and other agencies to intensify vector-control measures. Baijal also asked for regular review meetings at the level of district magistrates with all stakeholders to review the situation in their respective districts.
Baijal had directed officials of municipal corporations to intensify vector-control measures by domestic breeding checkers and to distribute Information Education and Communication (IEC) material for creating public awareness in identified high risk wards and underprivileged areas, unauthorised colonies, JJ clusters, construction sites etc.
Ten people died due to dengue in Delhi last year, according to South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Five of the victims were not Delhi residents, but they died in the city. Overall, the vector-borne disease has affected 9,271 people in the city last year.
The total number of the people affected by dengue was 9,271in 2017 and the numbers of malaria and chikungunya cases recorded in 2017 stood at 1,142 and 940 respectively. Of the 9,271 dengue cases, 4,726 patients were from Delhi, while 4,545 had come to the city from other states for treatment.
Dengue and chikungunya are caused by Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which breeds in clean water. The female Anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, breeds in both clean and muddy water.