India: Dengue fever outbreak continues in Delhi /update 1

Event

Health officials in India have reported an outbreak of dengue fever in Delhi. At least 1875 cases were reported as of mid-November. According to local sources, at least 280 cases were reported in the second week of November alone, a 47 percent increase over the number of cases reported during the third week of October. Authorities have advised individuals to take precautions against mosquitoes.

Context

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rash. In a small number of cases, the potentially deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) may develop, resulting in internal bleeding, enlargement of the liver, and high fever.

Advice

Individuals present in Delhi are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites (e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping in a screened-in or air-conditioned room) and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds on their properties (e.g. small pockets of fresh water, such as rainwater that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, clogged gutters, etc.).