Mosquito Menace Back in Mumbai: Over 600 Malaria Cases and 4x Rise in Chikungunya Cases in 14 Days

Mumbai has seen a large increase in malaria and chikungunya cases in the first half of July. Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s Epidemic Cell shows that 630 new malaria cases were reported in just two weeks.

Between January to June, 2,857 malaria cases were reported, which increased to 3,490 by July 14. There were 140 chikungunya cases from January till June, which increased to 179 by mid-July, with nearly 40 fresh cases this month.

The numbers are much higher compared to the same period last year. In 2024, malaria cases between January and July 14 were 2,852. Chikungunya cases have nearly quadrupled since last year’s 46.

Dengue cases have seen a slight drop. There were 966 cases till July 2024, but this year the number is 734 so far. However, officials have warned that cases may go up in the coming weeks.

Leptospirosis and waterborne illnesses like hepatitis and gastroenteritis showed a drop. Leptospirosis cases went down from 281 to 136. Gastroenteritis cases slightly dropped from 5,439 to 4,831.

Compared to last month, there has also been a big jump in July. Malaria, dengue, and chikungunya cases have increased sharply. Gastroenteritis cases rose from 4,513 till June to 4,831 by July 14. Leptospirosis cases were fewer in July compared to June. 

Furthermore, BMC warned that rainwater stagnation and early rainfall can help mosquitoes breed. To stop the spread, it launched strict monitoring and control drives across Mumbai. From July 1 to July 14, health workers checked over 6.7 lakh homes, covering a population of over 32 lakh. 

BMC also collected 1.01 lakh blood samples to detect fevers. They also checked nearly 23,000 workplaces and held 2,816 health camps. In the anti-malaria drive, they found 14,233 mosquito breeding spots in 3,393 checked sites. 

As part of the anti-dengue work, officials removed 25,440 tires and waste items. These were likely breeding places for dengue mosquitoes. They also found 38,291 Aedes mosquito sites. Fogging was done in more than 25,000 hutments and over 4 lakh building areas during this time.