Pune sees spike in dengue fever, 50 cases confirmed in two weeks

Dengue fever is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The primary vectors that transmit the disease are Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and breeding occurs mainly through man-made containers, including buckets and discarded containers, officials said.

According to the civic health department report, this year there have been 11 cases of H1N1 virus (swine flu) infection till date. (File)

The health department of the Pune Municipal Corporation has said that there has been a rise in the number of dengue cases in the city. Close to 200 cases of dengue and 72 of chikungunya have been confirmed by civic health authorities since January this year.

Within the span of a fortnight this month, the authorities have confirmed 50 cases of dengue fever in the city. However, there have been no deaths due to dengue, Dr Sanjeev Wavare, assistant medical officer (health) told The Indian Express. Overall, from January till July, there have been 972 suspected cases of dengue, while laboratory tests confirmed the viral infection in 193 cases.

Dengue fever is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The primary vectors that transmit the disease are Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and breeding occurs mainly through man-made containers, including buckets, mud pots, discarded containers, used tyres and stormwater drains, making dengue an insidious disease in densely populated urban areas, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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Prevention and control of the disease depend on effective vector control measures. “We have issued 971 notices to establishments and societies where breeding spots have been found and Rs 46,000 has been collected as administrative fee,” Dr Wavare said.

According to the civic health department report, this year there have been 11 cases of H1N1 virus (swine flu) infection till date. In May this year, a 60-year-old man from Phaltan tehsil in Maharashtra’s Satara district was admitted to KEM Hospital for treatment of swine flu. He, however, was not from Pune and later succumbed to the disease, Dr Wavare said.

When contacted, Dr Rajesh Gadia, consulting physician at KEM Hospital said that there is no large outbreak as such and sporadic cases of dengue are being reported. “However, we had admitted six persons with severe symptoms hailing from Baramati and Phaltan in the Intensive Care Unit. They were in shock, with symptoms like low blood pressure and acute respiratory disease syndrome,” Dr Gadia said.

The expert said that they were also seeing patients with seasonal influenza, apart from dengue and H1N1 virus. According to Dr Amit Dravid, infectious diseases expert at Pune’s Noble Hospital, they have seen a few patients with swine flu infection. The symptoms are similar to Covid-19 infection and a CT scan is conducted for patients with breathlessness to identify the disease, Dr Dravid said.

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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