FEVER PITCH - Dengue cases up 20 pc this year, reveals study
Anjali Doshi

CONTRARY TO what the civic body would have us believe, dengue is on the rise
in Mumbai. A study conducted by a private pathological laboratory revealed
that the number of dengue cases recorded in Mumbai this year is about 20 per
cent higher than last year and three times the figure in 2004.

This is surprising, considering the outbreak following last year's deluge.
However, between April and September this year, there have been 997 positive
cases of dengue from one laboratory alone. For the same period in 2005, the
number was 720 and in April-September 2004, it was just 318.

Meanwhile, awareness levels seem to be on the rise. In the first 10 days of
October alone, 1,175 people took the IgM test for dengue - a rapid membrane
test that detects antibodies to dengue in a blood sample. For all of October
2005, the number was 908.

"More people are taking precautions," said Dr Nilesh Shah, senior
vice-president of Metropolis, the laboratory that conducted the study. "The
hype over the dengue deaths in Delhi and the panic there has also played its
part in people taking adequate precautionary measures." Doctors also believe
that the rise in dengue cases has to do with the civic authorities proving
ineffective in controlling the mosquito population.

"The return of chikungunya and the increasing number of dengue cases has a
direct link to the mosquito population," said Dr A. C. Mishra, Director,
National Institute of Virology.

Dengue and chikungunya are caused by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that bites
during the day and breeds in large drums of water - the kinds found around
construction sites.

CAUSE FOR CONCERN Year People tested Positive cases for dengue 318 April '04
to Sept '04 1,711 720 April '05 to Sept '05 4,512 April '06 to Sept '06
4,586 Source: Metropolis
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