Showing no signs of letting up, dengue claimed seven more lives overnight, six in Delhi alone, pushing the country-wide death count on Sunday to 107. The number of those afflicted with the mosquito-borne debilitating viral illness topped the 5,000 mark.
Dengue continued unabated in the national capital, where six more succumbed to the disease, the largest in a single day, as death toll in the state jumped to 35, the highest in the country.
As many as 1,465 people were afflicted with dengue in Delhi with 92 fresh cases pouring in since Saturday evening, health officials said.
With people still flocking to medical clinics in droves, three patients died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, two at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and one at Holy Family Hospital.
Over 800 were screened for dengue at AIIMS, of which 61 were admitted and 170 kept under observation, the officials said.
With one more fatality in Uttar Pradesh, the death toll from dengue in the state rose to 11 as the number of suspected cases spiralled to 418.
The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme said the number of dengue cases across the country stood at 5,036 with reports of 161 new cases in the past 24 hours ending 11 A.M.
The Centre said it was providing support to 16 dengue-hit states which includes insecticides and larvicides besides monetary help.
Apart from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, Maharasthra accounted for 22 dengue deaths, Rajasthan 10, Karnataka seven, Andhra Pradesh five, Kerala and West Bengal four each, Gujarat and Punjab three each and Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh one each.
In 1996, when the first major outbreak of dengue was reported, 423 people died in Delhi and neighbouring states.
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