Uttar Pradesh dengue cases increase as mosquitoes thrive due to late winter, changed climate

Transmission windows of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral illness, have been expanding due to changing climate, and the number of cases has been increasing, an IndiaSpend analysis of prevalence data in Uttar Pradesh, particularly its capital Lucknow, has shown.

Between October 31 and November 1, Lucknow reported 91 new cases of dengue, as per the data accessed from the chief medical officer. In the week to November 1, more than 400 cases were confirmed. There hasn’t been a single day in October this year without the detection of new cases. Overall, more than 2,100 dengue cases have been reported in the city so far this year.

Across India, cases have risen from 157,315 in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, up to 289,235 last year. The disease, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes a wide range of symptoms, from mild fever to severe, life-threatening illness.

There is no known cure for dengue, and cases can be treated at home with regular oral hydration and fever management, as IndiaSpend reported in September 2022. However there is danger of bleeding, in which case the patient would need to be hospitalised and need blood transfusions, a 2017 study found. During an outbreak this causes shortage of blood platelets, says the study.

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