New dengue case reported,MCD blames it on coolers

The first case of dengue was reported on March 3 after a doctor from All India Institute of Medical Sciences tested positive.

“Dengue cases being reported during extreme summers and winters clearly indicates that the epidemiology of dengue fever is changing. This could also happen because of new mosquitoes or those who have tested positive are old cases,” said V K Monga,chairperson of Public Health Committee,Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Monga said a person can test positive for dengue even two months after contracting the disease.

Dr Anoop Singh,a post-graduate student in AIIMS,had first tested positive for the disease this season.

Health officials said the dengue fever cases this year may be more then the previous year with approval of NS1 tests for confirmation of positive dengue cases.

A total of three cases were reported in the month of April.

The MCD had earlier conducted a study on dengue patients in the city that revealed that most of the people who contracted the virus were either office-goers or school children. MCD health officials said the primary reason of contacting the virus was that coolers in offices are not cleaned as often as is done at home,thus helping mosquito breeding.