Delhi has reported 153 cases of dengue fever in 2022 and 10 of them are in July. A civic report said the national capital has been recording over 20 cases most months.
The lowest count, 16, was recorded in February and the highest, 32, was in June. The city logged 23 dengue cases in January, 22 in March, 20 in April, and 30 in May. Until July 9, 10 cases were recorded this month.
However, no related deaths have been reported in 2022 yet.
This is a noticeable spike from last year. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the count of dengue cases reported in Delhi between January 1 and July 9 last year was 38. The corresponding figure was 22 in 2020, 27 in 2019, 36 in 2018, and 77 in 2017.
Civic officials think the congenial weather for mosquito breeding contributed to this year's spike in dengue cases. Dengue is a vector-borne disease usually reported between July and November. But the period can stretch till mid-December.
In 2021, 9,613 cases were reported in Delhi which is the highest since 2015. 23 dengue-caused fatalities were also recorded which is the highest since 2016.
In 2016 and 2017, 10 deaths were reported in Delhi. 4,431 and 4,726 dengue cases were also recorded. In 2015, the city witnessed a massive outbreak with over 10,600 cases reported in October alone. It was the city's worst dengue outbreak since 1996.
In the following years, the number of cases decreased. Four deaths and 2,798 cases were reported in 2018. Two deaths and 2,036 cases were reported in 2019.
In 2020, the city logged 1,072 cases and no deaths.