Health alarm: 50 cases of dengue in October in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) health department has registered 50 cases of dengue in the city in the month of October.

This, health officials said, is less than the number of dengue cases registered in 2008 and 2007 for the month of October. Health officials said there were 68 cases of malaria and 30 cases of falciparum.

"In 2008, the number of dengue cases for October was 80, while it was 73 in 2007," said a senior official with the AMC's health department. They attributed the lower numbers to delay in the onset of monsoon and less rain.

"The three months after monsoon - September, October and November - are the months when dengue cases are registered," said the official. Officials said that they have completed a door to door survey to check mosquito breeding. The health issues of the city led to heated arguments between the Congress and the BJP at the AMC standing committee on Thursday.

The Congress took on the ruling BJP for failure to check rising cases of dengue, malaria and other disease in the city.

"The outbreak of dengue is proof that mosquito breeding has not been arrested. Moreover water pollution led to eight cases of cholera in a day in Bahiyakaka Ni Chali," said a Congress member of AMC's standing committee.

Source: Dnaindia