MUMBAI: There is a spurt in the number of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases in the city in the last fortnight, shows data from the civic health department. According to BMC executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah, “Compared to Aug 2023, number of cases of malaria, dengue, chikungunya and H1N1 diseases in Mumbai have shown a slight rise this August.”
While 1,013 cases of dengue were recorded in Aug, the corresponding number for Aug 2023 was 999.BMC registered 1,080 cases of malaria in Aug 2023 while 1,171 cases were found this Aug. For malaria, the number rose in the second fortnight to 616 as against 555 in the first fortnight. While the official figure for H1N1 in August is 170, private sector doctors said it could be way higher as only a few undergo the expensive H1N1 test.

The peculiarity of dengue cases this year, said senior consultant Dr Gautam Bhansali, is that quite a number of patients need admission as their platelets drop drastically (low platelet count is the most distinctive feature of dengue viral fever). “This year, we had patients with a platelet count of 9,000 as against the normal range of 1.5 lakh to 4.5 lakh,” said Dr Bhansali. Patients whose platelet count drops below 20,000 could need a platelet transfusion.
Dr Mala Kaneria from Nair Hospital said it’s not unusual to see a spurt in dengue in August-September. “We do get patients with very low platelet count, but they can be nursed back to health,” she said. Death rate due to dengue has dropped in recent years; national stat was 3.3% in 1996, down to 0.17% in 2023.
Meanwhile, the city has seen a huge rise in chikungunya cases; as against 35 in Aug 2023, BMC registered 164 this August. “Chikungunya and dengue are transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes, which breed in stagnant, clean water. During recent intermittent rains, people should ensure that water does not accumulate around their homes and surroundings to prevent their breeding,” said Dr Shah.