Close to 500 dengue cases in August: PMC pulls up 4 labs over incomplete patient information

In August, there were 484 suspected cases of dengue, 323 in July and 175 in June, as per PMC data.

3 min readPuneSep 2, 2026 10:14 AM IST

Instructions were also given to play audio messages on garbage collection vehicles to create awareness about precautions to be taken to prevent vector-borne diseases. (Express Archive)

The civic health department has issued notices against four laboratories for failing to provide complete addresses and names of persons who were tested for dengue and chikungunya. Dengue is a notifiable disease and while 40 per cent of the total 1155 suspected dengue cases were registered by the Pune Municipal Corporation in August this year, civic authorities have repeatedly urged establishments to help in the efforts towards zero mosquito breeding.

There are two suspected deaths due to dengue and details are being submitted to the district level death audit committee for confirmation.
With the prevailing weather conditions being conducive to mosquito breeding, Pavneet Kaur, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Gen.), Pune Municipal Corporation, has also directed various departments of the Pune Municipal Corporation to immediately identify and eliminate water stagnation and mosquito breeding sites in the areas under their respective jurisdiction, in order to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.

A meeting was held on August 31 which was attended by the heads of various departments of the Pune Municipal Corporation. During the meeting, a comparative review of dengue, chikungunya and malaria cases reported over the past three years was conducted.

Dr. Rajesh Dighe, Assistant Health Officer, presented a ward-wise mapping of cases across all, along with a map-based analysis and presentation. In August, there were 484 suspected cases of dengue, 323 in July and 175 in June, as per PMC data. As per the wardwise analysis, Kothrud and Nagar road-Wagholi had registered the highest number of cases at 121 and 102 respectively.

In 2024, as per civic data, Pune had registered 4958 cases of dengue while a total of 2391 cases were registered in 2025.

According to Dr Dighe, guidelines have been issued to identify mosquito breeding sites and immediately take measures to eliminate them. “We have been conducting awareness campaigns among citizens regarding vector-borne diseases and preventive measures. Citizens should also be alert and help the civic body in preventive efforts,” Dr Dighe said while highlighting how they found mosquito larvae in the unsealed areas around a tank near a prominent school in the cantonment area.

There are potential sites for mosquito breeding like deserted vehicles where rain water may have accumulated or then discarded tea cups and coconut shells. Here the solid waste department also needs to ensure the proper and timely disposal of thermocol, coconut shells and other discarded materials lying in public places, officials said at the review meeting.

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Instructions were also given to play audio messages on garbage collection vehicles to create awareness about precautions to be taken to prevent vector-borne diseases. Kaur at the review meeting also directed the anti -encroachment department to ensure that seized materials do not accumulate rainwater and become potential mosquito breeding sites.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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