New Delhi: Delhi has recorded 412 dengue cases so far this season, but more than half of them — 256 cases — remain “untraced,” according to the latest weekly report by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
In the past week alone, 58 new infections were reported. Officials said the challenge of tracing patients persists due to incomplete or incorrect addresses. Of the untraced cases, 55 had wrong or incomplete details, while 16 patients could not be found at the listed addresses. Another 17 cases were classified as infections acquired outside Delhi.
Why Tracing Matters
A senior municipal official said the inability to trace patients hampers cluster identification and local countermeasures. “When only general locations like Burari, Laxmi Nagar, or Jahangirpuri are mentioned, exact tracing becomes impossible. Without precise addresses, targeted fogging or surveillance cannot be done,” the official explained.
The Delhi government had made it mandatory in 2021, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, for all hospitals and clinics to report dengue cases to MCD. Despite improved reporting, incomplete patient information remains a major hurdle.
Dengue Spread Across Jurisdictions
Out of the total reported cases this year:
- 361 are within MCD areas
- 8 in NDMC areas
- 34 in Delhi Cantonment
- 9 under Railways jurisdiction
Last year during the same period, Delhi had reported 425 confirmed cases, including 325 untraced patients.
Intensified Anti-Mosquito Drive
Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma said the MCD has stepped up anti-mosquito operations with 3,000 domestic breeding checkers and 2,000 field workers deployed across wards. So far this season:
- Over 2.67 crore houses inspected
- 1.37 lakh homes found positive for breeding
- Nearly 8.8 lakh homes sprayed with insecticides
- 98,976 legal notices issued and 18,795 prosecutions carried out
Sharma added that each ward has been equipped with fogging machines, and special awareness drives are underway.
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