Mumbai tops the list of 10 cities that together account for half the dengue cases recorded till May-end this year in Maharashtra.
According to state surveillance data, 1,237 cases of dengue were recorded till May-end this year, registering a more than 50 per cent jump over the 807 cases recorded in the corresponding period last year.
The 10 cities that together account for half the cases this year are: Mumbai (335) followed by Nashik (88), Sangli (72), Solapur (32), Kolhapur( 30), Pune (21), Nagpur (17), Aurangabad (14) and 11 each in Nanded and Thane.
Intermittent rains have seen a rise in cases of dengue this year. When contacted, Dr Mahendra Jagtap, state entomologist, told The Indian Express that short spells of rain this year has led to a rise in the number of dengue cases. “However, we have stepped up awareness programmes and are educating communities on prevention and control of dengue,” Dr Jagtap said.
Dengue cases have also spiked in districts like Palghar, where a total of 112 cases have been recorded.
There has, however, been a dip in the number of chikungunya cases that were reported till May-end across the state. A total of 200 cases were reported this year as against 328 in the corresponding period last year. Pune rural has reported 16 cases of chikungunya this year.
Meanwhile, surveillance data shows that till May-end 2,579 malaria cases were reported, which is 20 per cent less than that reported in the corresponding period last year. There are five districts — Latur, Osmanabad, Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli — that have reported zero cases of malaria. Sixteen other districts have reported between 1-10 malaria cases.
Last year, 15,451 cases of malaria were reported against 19,303 cases in 2021.
State health officials said that several initiatives, including biological methods of using guppy fish, have helped in containing malaria and tackling mosquito-breeding spots.
June is observed as ‘anti-malaria month’ and efforts are taken to step up awareness on preventing and controlling dengue before the onset of monsoon. Officials said that dengue cases have been rising in recent years with repeated outbreaks. This is mainly due to rapid urbanisation and other factors. Officials have also sounded a note of caution urging municipal corporations and councils to remain alert and vigilant against the disease.
