Monsoon Woes: Uptick in dengue cases, officials say drop from last year but need to remain vigilant

“While this is encouraging, we must not become complacent. Continuous awareness campaigns and preventive measures are crucial,” said a senior KMC official.

The civic body attributed the decline to increased public awareness and preventive measures. “Residents have been urged to avoid water accumulation, clean their surroundings regularly, and release fish like guppy, katla, shoal, and lata in ponds to control mosquito breeding,” said an official.

Health officials, however, warn that the situation may change as the monsoon progresses. “It’s crucial to remain vigilant. The situation is not grave in Kolkata at all, but we must be alert. It is just the beginning. Rains are happening in phases causing more water accumulation in some areas. Also, Puja is Approaching and preparations have already started by digging holes everywhere. Aedes mosquitoes, the vector for dengue, require very small amounts of water to breed. Malaria mosquitoes require more water to breed. It is very important at this point to be careful,” said Dr Arindam Biswas, a renowned General Physician.

Meanwhile, the state health department has issued directives to all district Chief Medical Officers (CMOHs) to submit weekly reports on dengue cases. Last year, the state reported over 1,70,000 dengue cases with 100 fatalities. Kolkata accounted for 21 of these deaths.

This year, 863 cases of malaria have been reported — more than 2002 cases last year.

Deputy Mayor of Kolkata Atin Ghosh expressed satisfaction with the current situation, stating a 67% reduction in malaria cases and a 37% decline in dengue cases. “The round-the-clock efforts of the vector-borne disease officials have helped in bringing down the infection,” Ghosh said.