New Delhi:
The number of dengue cases in the national capital has inched closer to the 15,000-mark with over 7,200 of them being reported in October only, according to a municipal report released on Monday.
Standing at 14,889, dengue outbreak this year has become the worst outbreak since 1996. That year, 10,252 cases and 423 deaths were reported.
The figure for the total number of cases had crossed the 1996-mark on October 10 only with 10,683 people down with the deadly virus.
Out of the total number of cases reported till October 31, south Delhi area has recorded the maximum number, at over 3,000 cases of the vector-born disease.
With a tally of 7,283, the month of October has seen the maximum number of cases, among all the months this year. Over 6,700 cases had occurred in September.
The civic administration has maintained its official death toll at 32, according to the report on the vector-borne disease released by the SDMC, which compiles it on behalf of all civic bodies. Unofficially, however, the number of dengue victims stands at over 40.
In 2010, as many as 6,259 total cases were recorded and only eight deaths were officials reported throughout the year.
995 cases were registered in entire 2014 while in 2013 it stood at 5574. Over 2,000 cases were recorded in 2012 while 2011 saw 1,131 cases.
Out of the total cases, south Delhi recorded the highest at 3,045, north Delhi at 2,842 while east Delhi posted the lowest with 1,680 cases.
Of all civic zones in the city, Najafgarh Zone of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has recorded the highest number with 941 cases. And, 2,491 people diagnosed positive for the deadly disease came from outside of Delhi.
Last year, the city had reported three deaths and recorded nearly 1,000 cases.
Till October 31, the number of houses found positive for mosquito breeding stands at 2,31,632 while number of prosecution launched in the same period is nearly 23,000, according to the report.