Delhi clocks 643 malaria cases, highest single-year count in 10 years

New Delhi: Increased rainfall this year has led to a spike in vector-borne diseases, with Delhi recording a 10-year high in number of malaria cases detected, according to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Till October 19 this year, Delhi clocked 643 malaria cases, the highest single-year count since 2014.

Besides the 643 confirmed malaria cases in Delhi, 51 cases in which infection was acquired from other states have also been reported, the MCD report dated October 21 said.

“In July, the total number of malaria cases was 47. In August, a total of 106 cases of malaria were reported but in September, the number of malaria cases increased to 193 and in October, 213 cases have been registered so far,” a senior health official, requesting anonymity, said.

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It has been a wetter than normal year for Delhi, largely down to an above normal monsoon. Delhi received 1,029.9mm of rainfall in monsoon, around 61% higher than the long period average (LPA) of 640.4mm. The annual total, meanwhile, stands at 1,074.6mm, which is also in excess of the LPA of 774.4mm, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The geographical distribution of cases this year shows that the maximum number of patients, at 84, were from the City Sadar Paharganj zone — which comprises localities of Walled City, Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar and Idgah— followed by west zone, at 81 cases, which includes localities of Uttam Nagar, Nawada and Vikarpuri, and Shahdara North zone, at 70 cases, which includes localities of Seelampur, Maujpur, Nand Nagari and Karawal Nagar.

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The MCD official from public health department cited above said that malaria load had been largely brought down in the past few years but it was showing slight resurgence, which may also be attributed to better reporting. Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite called plasmodium, which is carried by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Dengue, on the other hand, is caused by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

Also read | Gurugram reports two malaria cases, Haryana logs 168 so far

Despite the surge in malaria cases — almost double last year’s case count of 352 — no death has been recorded so far. However, three dengue deaths were reported last month, according to MCD. This year, Delhi has recorded 3,082 cases of dengue.

In 2023, Delhi recorded 9,266 dengue cases and 19 deaths — the third-worst outbreak of the viral infection in the city, according to MCD’s annual data. The civic body claims to have found mosquito breeding in 246,642 houses and legal notices were issued in 138,919 instances.

According to the MCD report, Delhi reported 352 malaria cases in 2023, 194 cases in 2022, 150 cases in 2021, 206 cases in 2020, 574 cases in 2019, 427 cases in 2018, and 541 cases in 2017.

According to civic officials, most cases of malaria are being reported from densely-populated areas.

Dr Sumit Ray, head of the department of critical care medicine and medical director at Holy Family Hospital, said that malaria-causing mosquitoes breed in swampy conditions and dirty water, whereas dengue is caused by mosquitoes that breed in clear water. “Perhaps high levels of rainfall, waterlogging and accumulation of water has led to increase in malaria cases. However, the severity of cases is not very high. Similarly, in case of dengue as well, the strain which is in circulation is not very severe. We have around 30 patients at any given time but they do not need critical care,” he said.