Gurgaon: A 20-year-old woman from Chauma village has tested positive for dengue on Monday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the city this year to five.Health officials said 94 blood samples were collected for dengue testing during the day, taking the cumulative number of samples tested this year to 2,973. Last year, the city logged 64 dengue cases, including 24 reported in July, and recorded no deaths.No dengue-related deaths have been reported in the district so far this year either. Meanwhile, the health department has intensified surveillance, with rapid fever survey teams covering 14,305 houses on Monday. Since the start of the campaign, teams have visited 6,97,039 households across the district.As part of vector-borne disease surveillance, 839 blood slides were prepared on Monday. Since Jan 1, a total of 1,58,518 blood slides have been examined for malaria. The city has reported three malaria cases so far this year, with no new case detected on Monday. Last year, the city recorded 8 malaria cases with no deaths.The civic authorities have also stepped up enforcement against mosquito breeding. According to the bulletin, 845 notices have been issued under Section 214 of the municipal bye-laws act, 1973, for violations related to mosquito breeding and sanitation.Officials have declared all vector-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis, as notifiable under the epidemic diseases act till March 2027. Hospitals and laboratories are required to report every case within 24 hours.The warm, humid season is still in full swing, creating ideal conditions for dengue-carrying Aedes mosquitoes to breed. Experts warn the threat is far from over. Officials said dozens of patients showing viral fever symptoms are suspected to be infected with the virus.People with flu-like symptoms should consult doctors instead of self-medicating, and others should take preventive measures such as wearing full-sleeved clothing and using mosquito repellents, doctors said.Several species of mosquitoes within the genus Aedes transmit dengue. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain and a characteristic skin rash resembling that of measles.
