New Delhi: Dengue cases climb to nearly 500 in state, deathtoll to 5

New Delhi: 487 cases of dengue have so far been reported in the national capital this season, with 368 of them being recorded in August, a municipal report said.

311 cases of the vector-borne disease were reported till August 20, while 176 cases came to light in last week alone, marking a rise of nearly 57 per cent, said a senior official of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, which compiles dengue report on behalf of all the civic bodies in Delhi.

An 18-year-old boy died yesterday of dengue at Apollo Hospital in south Delhi, taking to five the number of fatalities from the disease here.

"He was brought to the hospital in a critical state on August 26. He was earlier admitted to some private hospital in south Delhi area and later referred to Apollo Hospital. He died of dengue shock syndrome," a hospital source said.

12-year-old Muskan, a resident of Shaheen Bagh here, had died on July 29, while Deepak (19), from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, succumbed to the disease on July 27, both at Safdarjung Hospital.

The civic bodies, however, have acknowledged only these two death cases so far.

Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan's sister-in-law had also died of dengue on August 12 at Apollo Hospital.

This year, dengue cases were reported rather early. The disease had claimed its first victim on July 21 when a girl from Jafrabad in northeast Delhi died at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.

Doctors have advised people to keep themselves adequately hydrated and not resort to self-medication, and also to go for blood test before rushing to get admitted in hospital.

"Only in severe cases should they go for hospitalisation. Also, it is extremely important to note that platelet transfusion is only needed in dengue cases where the platelet count is less than 10,000 and there is active bleeding.

"Unnecessary platelet count can cause more harm than good. Adequate hydration is the best management approach to dengue while monitoring crucial signs," said Dr K K Aggarwal, Secretary General, Indian Medical Association.

Last year, the city saw a staggering 15,867 dengue cases -- the worst in 20 years -- with the disease claiming 60 lives, as per municipal reports.

In 2015, only six cases were reported in June, while 36 were registered in July.

In 1996, a severe outbreak of dengue had occurred in Delhi when about 10,252 cases and 423 deaths were reported.