Mumbai sees spike in Dengue, Malaria & Chikungunya cases in August
Mumbai sees spike in Dengue, Malaria & Chikungunya cases in August
June, which saw the start of the monsoon, had a relatively lesser number of Dengue, Chikungunya, and leptospirosis cases.
August 16, 2024
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recorded a spike in the number of monsoon-related cases such as Dengue, Chikungunya, and leptospirosis cases in the city this month so far, as compared to June and July.
As per a report released by the civic body, 555 Dengue cases were recorded between August 1-14, compared to 535 cases in July and only 93 cases in June.
Meanwhile, Chikungunya has more than tripled in comparison: From 25 cases in July to 84 in Aug so far.
While 25 cases of Malaria were reported daily in July, the corresponding number has climbed to 40 in Aug so far.
Other monsoon diseases such as leptospirosis (a bacterial infection that spreads from wading in contaminated flood water) have been steadily increasing: From 28 in June to 141 in July to 172 in August so far. Cases of H1N1 stood at 161 in July and rose to 119 in just 15 days.
The graph appears steeper when compared with the caseload of monsoon diseases in July. Besides, June, which saw the start of the monsoon, had a relatively lesser number of Dengue, Chikungunya, and leptospirosis cases.
According to experts, these illnesses may persist for a week or two even after the rain stops completely. They are expecting to see a reduction in cases by the middle or end of September. If rain continues, there is also a possibility of a further spike in the number of cases by October.
