Maharashtra reports 3,736 dengue cases till July, chikungunya cases double

Pune leads Maharashtra's tally of highest number of chikungunya cases this season with 83 confirmed cases, followed by Kolhapur, Akola and Sangli-Miraj.

3 min readPuneJul 16, 2024 06:02 PM IST

This year 3,736 cases of dengue were reported in Maharashtra while it was 3,164 cases and four deaths last year. (File)

Chikungunya cases in Maharashtra recorded from January to July this year have more than doubled with 875 cases, as against 363 recorded in the corresponding period last year, according to the state health department data.

While the dengue case count for the same period remains similar to last year, there has been a rise in malaria cases this year, the data says.

This year 3,736 cases of dengue were reported in Maharashtra while it was 3,164 cases and four deaths last year.

The state clocked 5,300 cases of malaria from January to July this year and three deaths as compared to 4,867 cases and 2 deaths in the corresponding period last year.

Pune leads the state’s tally of highest number of chikungunya cases this season with at least 83 confirmed cases. It is followed by 82 in Kolhapur, 57 in Akola and 55 in Sangli-Miraj.

“While no death has been reported in the state due to chikungunya, there has been one death due to dengue viral infection,” Mahendra Jagtap, state epidemiologist, said.

Dr Rajesh Gadia, consulting physician at KEM hospital, said that this season there was a rise in cases of fever, cough and cold, dengue and chikungunya. “However, there are patients with severe symptoms of chikungunya and complaints of not being able to walk. We are seeing many cases from Bhosari and Chakan, apart from Pune. There are also a similar number of dengue cases. We have treated severe ones that are from Baramati and Phaltan,” Dr Gadia said.

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Dr Amit Dravid, infectious diseases consultant at Noble Hospital, said that it was a triple whammy this season with dengue, chikungunya and zika virus infections.

“There are complications related to chikungunya with severe bone pain and encephalitis,” he said.

In every 10,000 patients there will be one or two with these complications, he added.

Dr. Jayant Khandare, a consultant paediatrician and neonatologist at Surya Mother and Child Super-Specialty hospital, also cautioned that parents should be vigilant for symptoms on children such as sudden fever, intense headache, eye pain, joint and muscle pain and skin rash. Simple measures can help combat dengue by removing stagnant water near residences, using mosquito repellents and ensuring children wear protective clothing, he added.

Mumbai, Nashik, Kolhapur account for 26% dengue cases

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Mumbai has reported 513 cases of dengue viral infection followed by 348 at Nashik and 141 at Kolhapur. Overall the state clocked 3,736 dengue cases and Mumbai, Nashik and Kolhapur account for 26 per cent of these cases.

According to data with Pune Municipal Corporation, 16 of the 720 suspected cases of dengue were positive with the viral infection. There were 15 cases of chikungunya, according to PMC health department data.

“We have issued over 1,000 notices to housing societies, under construction firms and other such places where mosquito breeding sites have been identified and levied an administrative fee of Rs 3.87 lakh accordingly,” Dr Suryakant Deokar, assistant chief medical officer, PMC said.

Spike in malaria cases

Gadchiroli and Mumbai have reported the largest number of malaria cases in the state. Of the 5,300 cases of malaria reported across Maharashtra from January till July this year, 2,081 are from Gadchiroli district and 2,163 from Mumbai.

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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