Uptick In Dengue, Chikungunya, Swine Flu Cases In Delhi: Doctors

Dengue and viral fever also start with comparable symptoms, such as high fever, body aches, and fatigue

New Delhi: Delhi doctors on Friday reported seeing a significant uptick in dengue cases, along with swine flu and chikungunya cases.

According to a report from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the region reported 401 new infections between September 22 to 28.

Delhi recorded 1,052 dengue cases till September 28, as per the report, with the South Delhi zone recording the highest number of cases, followed by the Najafgarh zone.

“Dengue and swine flu cases have been steadily rising over the past few weeks. Presently, we are witnessing around 100 patients daily presenting with symptoms such as fever, body aches, and fatigue,” Dr. Sharang Sachdeva, Senior Consultant, and Head – Emergency, Aakash Healthcare, said. "Of these, 20-25 per cent are diagnosed with dengue, while 10-15 per cent are diagnosed with swine flu, indicating a concerning overlap of multiple infections during this period," he added.

One dengue-related death has been reported this year so far with a 54-year-old patient succumbing to the disease at Lok Kalyan Hospital. Last year, 19 dengue deaths were reported in the national capital.

“The season is favourable for breeding of mosquitoes hence there might be few spikes in vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya,” Dr. Harshal R Salve, Additional professor, Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, said.

High-grade fever, body aches, rapid breathing, vomiting, restlessness, loss of appetite, pain in the abdomen, rashes, and fatigue are the major symptoms of dengue.

Meanwhile, the MCD data also shows a marked increase in both malaria (67) and chikungunya (13) cases in the September 22-28 period.

About 430 malaria cases have been recorded until September 28 this year, compared to 321 cases during the same period in 2023.

Chikungunya cases have also risen, with 55 cases reported this year in the same period, up from 24 in the corresponding period last year.