The Mumbai civic administration has reported at least 14 cases of dengue in October, the season when the aedes aegypti mosquito breeds. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation executive health officer R.M. Kathuria said only 24 cases of dengue were reported in both civic and private hospitals between February and September. He assured there is no cause for concern after the rise in cases this month.Kathuria said the BMC is reviewing the 14 cases reported this month by private hospitals and diagnostic laboratories in the western suburbs of Goregaon, Malad and Kandivli.‘‘In October, there is always a rise in the number of dengue cases due to the rise in temperature that facilitates the mosquito’s breeding,’’ he said. Also, the disease does not pose a serious threat as there are a ‘‘minimal’’ number of fatalities.The Civic Health Department is taking precautions to stem the progress of the disease, Kathuria said, adding that this includes spraying chemicals such as ‘‘malaria oil’’ on water bodies, spraying insecticides such as Fenthion and Abate and fogging with another insecticide called Pyricrum. The BMC has also intensified its health campaigns, especially in slum localities, he said.
