Mumbai city has witnessed a drop in dengue and malaria cases in June by 70 and 30 per cent respectively, compared to that of same month in last year.
According to the data furnished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), while 353 cases of dengue were reported in June 2023, the number of cases dipped to 93, this June. The cases of malaria have also declined with the BMC reports reflecting that 443 recorded patients were afflicted with the disease between June 1 and June 30, this year, as against 649 patients in June 2023.
The declining trend comes even as the number of civic reporting units, which comprise labs, hospitals, dispensaries, have increased over the last few years with the number of reporting units increasing from 22 to 880 in 2023.
As a result of the increase in reporting units, the BMC reported a sharp rise in numbers in June 2023 in comparison to only 348 cases of malaria and 29 cases of dengue in June 2022. This year, however, the BMC spruced up its fight to tackle the vector-borne cases in the city and create awareness among residents.
Inside the BMC playbook
Both malaria and dengue are caused by mosquito bites — malaria by Anopheles and dengue by Aedes aegypti species — which breed in stagnant water. Owing to the increased accumulation of water during monsoons, the cases of diseases witness a considerable uptick during the monsoon season.
To nip these breeding spots in the bud, each year, the civic body adapts a quadripartite approach which includes source reduction, minor engineering, chemical control and biological measures.
While the civic body has its own team of over 2,000 to implement these measures, Sudhakar Shinde, additional municipal commissioner who is in charge of the health department, said that this year, the BMC roped in over 100 mentors from medical institutions to aid in faster detection.
“We have trained our team to undertake continuous fogging as well as removal of objects like tyres where water can accumulate. To rule out the possibility of drug resistance amongst the species, we have also changed the chemical in our machines,” Shinde told The Indian Express.
Indicating a rise from last year, the civic body deployed 16,672 fogging machines with 49,802 buildings and over 6.60 lakh hutments fogged between June 1 and June 30. In June, the BMC inspected 4,730 premises for malaria-causing mosquitoes and identified 28,928 breeding sites. For dengue control, civic body inspected over 11,45,505 houses.
According to medical experts, the cases of dengue are much higher in high-rise buildings as against malaria, which is largely reported in the slums. Dr Daksha Shah, Executive Health officer at BMC, explained that while slums can be checked for breeding spots easily and sprayed with chemicals, inspecting houses in high-rise buildings is a big challenge.
“In buildings, galleries are common breeding spots as water can easily be accumulated in the flower pots, trays or any other concave object stored there. To clean these breeding spots, the water must be emptied and cleaning should be done at least weekly,” Shah said.
In a bid to raise awareness, the BMC recently launched the “Bhaag Macchar Bhaag” campaign wherein they have roped in celebrities to educate citizens about the mosquito-mitigation measures through short videos.
While doctors pointed to the subdued showers in the city, they concurred that they have seen a decline in cases of malaria and dengue.
Dr. Vikrant Shah, city-based doctor and an expert on infectious diseases, said, “We have definitely seen a big drop in the cases of malaria and dengue this year, in relation to the past few years. This season, at our hospital at Chembur we have only seen 3 – 4 cases each of malaria and dengue.”
“It must also be noted that proper monsoon has not set in the city yet. Even so, the BMC’s efforts are laudable since we have seen an actual decline, especially in the slums, which are prone to vector-borne diseases throughout,” added Shah.
Even as the cases of malaria and dengue has dipped, doctors indicated that H1N1 cases are on the rise.
Meanwhile, to tackle vector-borne diseases, the civic body has appealed residents to get themselves tested even when developing fever-like symptoms.
