New Delhi: After a brief lull, dengue cases shot up in the Capital with 79 patients being admitted to various hospitals across the city and the viral claiming two more victims, taking the toll to 54.
"Two persons have died in the last 24 hours ending 11:00 a.m.," Municipal Health Officer N K Yadav said.
With 79 fresh cases reported across the capital, the total number of people affected by the viral disease this year has risen to 2,373.
A dip in temperatures over the past few days had raised hopes of subsidence of the mosquito-borne disease and the capital had seen a considerable decrease in the number of dengue cases during the Diwali weekend.
Night time temperatures hovered around 16 degrees Celsius over the past week while the mercury touched a maximum of 32 degress during the day.
Experts said that the drop in temperatures will lead to a gradual natural death for the dengue virus. However, the daytime temperatures of around 30 degrees would still aid breeding of the dengue-causing Aedes aegypti mosquito, they said.
The minimum temperature this morning was 17.4 degrees Celsius.
Delhi Health Secretary D S Negi said there was nothing unusual about the increase in dengue cases. "We have seen a spurt in dengue case in October when weather conditions are cogenial for breeding of mosquitoes," he said.
Director of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) P L Joshi claimed there was decline in the density of dengue-causing mosquito Aedes aegypti.
"In the next few days, we will be able to say surely whether dengue is in a declining mode," he said.
Of the 79 fresh cases in the capital, 42 patients were admitted to AIIMS where 178 people afflicted with the are undergoing treatment.
Another 25 patients suspected to have contracted dengue have also been kept under observation at the hospital.
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