Ailing Hyderabad: District worst affected by malaria outbreak, ranks 2nd in dengue

HYDERABAD: Denizens in the twin cities have been asked to protect themselves against mosquito-borne diseases after official figures showed Hyderabad as the worst affected when it comes to malaria, and second worst affected district in terms of the dengue cases.
Apart from the dreaded swine flu virus affecting many in the city, dengue and malaria cases continue to tumble in large numbers, making it a deadly concoction of viruses.In the last two weeks, Hyderabad recorded 40 cases of malaria, while 70 dengue cases were recorded in the same period.

Mahbubnagar recorded the highest number of dengue cases with nearly 150 in the last two weeks alone, authorities said. “Mahabunagar is also having a spurt in swine flu cases currently-.Dengue is also expected to increase in the district as well as Hyderabad city due to the recent rainfall and fluctuation in temperatures. The three viruses together pose a huge threat to people and they need to be doubly careful,” said a senior official from the state health department.
Dengue and malaria cases are expected to go up further due to the recent rounds of rainfall and subsequent waterlogging in various parts of the city. The viruses thrive in lower temperatures and authorities expect the numbers to go up in the next two weeks.
About 1436 cases of malaria, 2644 cases of dengue and 244 cases of chikungunya were recorded across the state, since the beginning of the year up to the second week of October.