Mumbai: Cases of malaria, dengue, chikungunya and swine flu are on the rise in the state. Also, gastrointestinal diseases are widespread. In July 2024, much more patients have been found than the number of patients in July last year.
Due to the accumulation of rain water, the gastrointestinal tract is getting polluted. According to the health department, the number of dengue and chikungunya patients is also on the rise. Diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya are on the rise.
Despite various measures being taken by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the state health department to control these diseases, the data for July this year shows an increase in the number of cases of malaria, chikungunya and dengue compared to last year.
In the last three years, the number of cases of malaria, dengue and chikungunya has been increasing. In 2022, 15,451 cases of malaria were found in the state while in 2023 there were 16,159 cases. Dengue cases increased from 8,578 in 2022 to 19,034 in 2023. The number of chikungunya patients has also seen an increase compared to 2022.
The number of chikungunya cases has increased to 1075 and 1702 respectively. In 2024, these diseases have also come to the fore and the number of patients of these three diseases has increased in July this year as compared to the previous year. In July last year, there were 5169 cases of malaria and this year 6141 cases have been reported.
The number of dengue patients has increased from 3164 in July to 4252 this year and the number of chikungunya patients has more than doubled as compared to July last year. Last year, 363 cases were reported, while in July this year, 928 cases were found, health department sources said.
The number of patients of swine flu is also increasing and the number of patients of leptospirosis is also increasing continuously for the last three years. From 458 cases of leptospirosis in 2022 to 1484 in 2023, the number is expected to reach 1100 by July 14, 2024.
In the wake of monsoon diseases, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has made extensive preparations and three thousand beds have been arranged in the main and suburban hospitals of the corporation. The outpatient department has been started from 4 to 6 in the evening and extensive awareness and door-to-door search of mosquito breeding sites is underway.
A large amount of smoke is being sprayed by the pesticide department. The municipality has also said that a massive anti-mosquito campaign is being carried out to prevent leptospirosis. From January to July, 2,39,000 rats were killed and in the last two weeks, 13,255 rats were killed.
The health department has also started 69 treatment centers for the eradication of malaria with wide public awareness.
Rapid testing kits have been provided for remote and inaccessible areas and 4,95,251 insecticide-loaded mosquito nets have been distributed in the state. As many as 2,12,569 insecticide-loaded mosquito nets have been distributed in Gadchiroli district and 11,018 guppy fish breeding centres have been set up to destroy mosquito larvae.
The guppy fish produced from this are released into water bodies where mosquitoes breed. Health department sources said that guppy fish were released at 1,16,462 places this year.