Spike in dengue cases in India: How bad is it?

Several places across India are reporting a surge in dengue cases. The viral infection is a common occurrence every monsoon. However, some cities saw an uptick in dengue cases much before the expected period. The dengue virus (DENV), spread to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, caused 303 deaths last year. As per the official data, India recorded 2,33,251 dengue cases in 2022. Let’s take a closer look at how many parts of India are witnessing a spate of dengue cases this year. Delhi Till 15 July this year, Delhi logged a total of 163 dengue cases, as compared to 158 in 2022 and 40 in 2021 during the same period, reported Indian Express. Citing the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) data, the newspaper said 39 of these cases were reported in the last week alone. Out of the total cases this year, 40 were reported in June and 23 in May, as per the news agency PTI. On Monday (17 July), Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi warned that an upsurge in dengue and malaria cases can hit the National Capital owing to the flooding in certain parts of the city. [caption id=“attachment_12880802” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] “Now, it is a matter of concern that due to the flood, there is a possibility of more cases of dengue and malaria in comparison to last year… Instructions have been issued to all departments concerned to clean garbage and silt, and launch a drive to control mosquito breeding,” she told reporters, as per PTI. She said departments have been asked to check mosquito breeding and clear silt and sludge left by Yamuna water.

Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj voiced similar concerns. “After flooding, there is a fear of cases of vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria rising. But that trend is not being seen at the moment. Cases of conjunctivitis and skin allergy are mostly being reported from relief camps,” PTI quoted the AAP leader as saying. Relief camps were set up in the wake of swollen Yamuna river inundating east and northeast areas of the National Capital. Last year, as per the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) data, the dengue cases tally in Delhi was 10,183 with nine fatalities. Maharashtra As per a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) report released early in July, Mumbai saw a nine-fold rise (353 cases) in total dengue cases in June as compared to last year – 39 cases. Mumbai was also among the top 10 cities in Maharashtra accounting for half the dengue cases till the end of May. The other cities were Nashik, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nanded and Thane. As per Indian Express, Maharashtra logged 1,237 cases of dengue till May-end, a 50 per cent jump from the 807 cases recorded last year in the same period. Dr Mahendra Jagtap, state entomologist, attributed short spells of rain this year to the climb in dengue infections, according to the newspaper. Hindustan Times (HT) reported on 28 June that hospitals in Mumbai are receiving many patients suffering from dengue, a scenario usually common a month after the onset of monsoon. “Dengue has increased much earlier than it normally does. We would usually see cases by the end of July. I’m not seeing so much to be worried about. Hospitalisations have been needed for dengue, due to the low platelet count,” Dr Hemalata Arora, senior consultant, Internal Medicine, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vile Parle, told HT. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is on alert after 12 confirmed and 80 suspected dengue cases were reported in the city between 11 July and 12 July. The city did not record any cases of vector-borne diseases between April and June this year, noted HT. This year, Pune has seen 33 confirmed and 552 suspected cases till 14 July, the newspaper reported citing the PMC data. Speaking to HT, Dr Sanjay Patil, chairmam of the Indian Medical Association’s Hospital Board of India, Pune chapter, said the number of dengue cases has surged in the city and the figures are more than the civic body’s data. Other states Telangana has reported 610 cases of dengue this year, out of which 201 were reported in July alone, Times of India (TOI) reported citing official data. Although the capital Hyderabad has not confirmed an outbreak, incidents of a bunch of people from the same neighbourhood or workplace testing positive for the viral infection have come to light in recent days. As per TOI, dengue cases have increased in Hyderabad since May this year. In Assam, dengue has spread from the hill districts to the plains now, According to the 18 July TOI report, in the last five days, the Assam health department has confirmed more than 200 more dengue infections, taking the total tally this season to 764. The hill district of Karbi Anglong accounted for 92 per cent of the 229 cases reported in the last five days. So far, the state has seen one fatality due to the dengue virus this year. [caption id=“attachment_12880822” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] “Dengue cases are on the rise, mainly because of better surveillance. But hospitalisation rate is still low. More and more people suffering from fever are coming forward for dengue tests,” a health department official told TOI. Karnataka’s Bengaluru has also witnessed a spurt in dengue cases in the last two months. Odisha reported 175 dengue infections, out of which 93 were detected in the Khurda district, a senior official said on 1 July. At least 28 patients were undergoing treatment for dengue in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore by 5 July. Kerala recorded 2,863 dengue cases between 1 January to 20 June this year, with the death toll at 29. As per T_he Quint_, the fatalities were higher than in the previous two years in the same period. Has dengue virus changed in India? Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru, said in a study published in April this year that the dengue virus has evolved in India. The dengue virus has four serotypes: DENV 1, 2, 3 and 4. The study found that till 2012, DENV 1 and DENV 3 were the dominant strains in India. However, in recent years, DENV 2 has become more prevalent across the country, while Dengue 4 is spreading in South India, reported India Today. According to The Hindu report in May, senior health officials of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that dengue, which was limited to eight Indian states in 2001, has now spread to all states and Union Territories. “During the last two decades, there has been significant geographical spread of dengue with 11-fold increase and repeated outbreaks. The number of states and Union Territories reporting cases increased from eight in 2000 to all. Rural areas contributed approximately 32 per cent of the total cases in 2015-16 and have increased to 41 per cent-45 per cent now,’’ The Hindu quoted experts as saying. With inputs from agencies