Six more die of dengue in Delhi

New Delhi -- Six more patients succumbed to the mosquito-borne dengue fever in the national capital taking the total number of deaths to 58 this year, officials said Tuesday.

While two patients each died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and St. Stephens hospital, one each died at the Guru Teg Bahadur and Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospitals, P.L. Joshi, director of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme said.

"The number of dengue deaths in the country has touched 154, including the six fresh deaths in the capital in the last 24 hours," Joshi added.

The dengue virus is spread by the bite of the female Aedes Aegypti mosquito that breeds in stagnant water. It is marked by high fever, joint pain, skin rashes and a sharp drop in platelet counts that can prove fatal.

While the post-monsoon period leads to the mosquito breeding, dengue outbreaks are known to subside after October.

According to health authorities, the capital has also witnessed 45 fresh cases during the period taking the total number of reported number of cases well past 2,600 this year.

"Forty-five fresh cases were reported in the capital taking the total number to 2,640 this year," said N.K. Yadav, municipal health officer of Delhi.

He added that the number of dengue cases was on the decline, but it will take some more time for the cases to become "negligible".