Gurgaon: The health department has screened over 3.1 lakh houses in the city as part of an ongoing fever surveillance drive. The exercise is aimed at preventing outbreaks of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria ahead of monsoon. It found mosquito larvae in 42 houses and led to the issuance of 30 notices for not adopting preventive measures.The teams inspected household water coolers and tankers. Twenty-six water coolers and five tanks were found to contain mosquito larvae.Officials said the drive will be conducted for the first 15 days of every month, from May to Oct, a period considered a high-risk one for dengue and malaria.The exercise has assumed urgency this year with the city recording an unusually wet April. According to India Meteorological Department, the city received 23.8 mm of rainfall against an average of 7.7 mm, a 209% surplus. Health officials said the excess pre-monsoon rain, coupled with rising humidity, could create favourable breeding conditions for mosquitoes.Dengue cases in Haryana begin rising from May and peak between July and Oct. The state reported 8,996 dengue and 50 malaria cases in 2022; 8,081 dengue and 85 malaria cases in 2023; and 6,469 dengue cases and nine deaths in 2024. Last year, 2,033 dengue cases were reported, indicating that while numbers were lower than the peak outbreak years, the disease remains a recurring seasonal threat.In Gurgaon, dengue has persisted as a concern despite year-to-year variation. In 2022, the city reported 440 cases, followed by 276 cases and one death in 2023, 186 cases in 2024, and 64 cases in 2025. Health officials cautioned that last year’s lower tally should not lead to complacency, particularly given this year’s wetter-than-normal pre-monsoon conditions.The health department has also mapped dengue hotspots, including sectors 4, 15, 46, 51 and 56, DLF-1, Sushant Lok-1 and Rajendra Park. Officials said all larvae sites will be geo-tagged to build a database and track high-risk zones more effectively.“We are conducting a survey to identify suspected cases so they can be treated at the earliest. We will gradually increase sample collection to monitor fever clusters in the district,” said district surveillance officer Dr Jai Prakash.Officials said that while malaria outbreaks are relatively uncommon, surveillance remains critical as the cases are typically reported between Feb and Sept.Health officials said teams are focusing on eliminating breeding sites and spreading awareness among residents on preventive steps such as covering water containers and ensuring regular cleaning of coolers.
