The incidence of epidemic diseases like malaria, dengue, and chikungunya during the monsoon season in Maharashtra has increased significantly in the last three years. Health department doctors say that the malaria-dengue crisis in the state will worsen due to premature rains this year.
Health department sources said that more than 60,000 cases of dengue and malaria have been reported in the last three years. Municipal doctors say that this year too, epidemic diseases including malaria and dengue will rise in large numbers in Mumbai.
In 2022, 15451 malaria cases were reported in the state and 26 people died. In 2023, 16158 malaria cases were reported and 14 people died. In 2024, 21078 cases were reported till April and 26 people died. The highest number of malaria cases have been recorded in Mumbai and Gadchiroli.
During this period, dengue cases have also been reported in large numbers, with 8578 cases and 27 deaths in 2022. In 2023, 19034 cases were reported and 55 deaths due to dengue.In 2024, the same number increased to 19,382 cases. Along with this, the number of chikungunya patients has also increased in the last three years. Health department sources said that 1,087 cases of chikungunya were reported in 2022, 1,702 in 2023 and 5,854 in 2024.
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This year, due to the untimely heavy rains that fell in the state at the end of May, there is a possibility of a major outbreak of epidemic diseases in Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and Gadchiroli areas.
Doctors are expressing fears that waterlogging and outbreaks of epidemics could occur due to the rampant construction work taking place, mainly in the cities of Mumbai and Thane, and the construction of cement roads that have been constructed and left unfinished to reduce the amount of construction work.
Mumbai is already seeing a large number of cold and fever patients, and it has become difficult to identify which are coronavirus patients and which are patients with infectious diseases.
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The health department in the state has started implementing awareness campaigns such as spraying and releasing guppy fish to control infectious diseases and mosquitoes, while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to implement the mosquito eradication campaign in a more aggressive manner.
At the same time, the Health Department and the BMC are appealing to citizens to take proper care. The civic body has also appealed to consult a doctor immediately if symptoms like fever, body aches, vomiting occur.
Dengue is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes. Its incidence has increased in the last few years. It is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Patients start showing symptoms 5-6 days after infection. Symptoms: High fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle pain, loss of taste and appetite, rash on the chest and limbs, nausea, vomiting.