Over 1000 infections in past 7 days, Kolkata dengue caseload closer to 4000

In the past week, Kolkata has witnessed a concerning spike in dengue cases, with 1,100 new cases reported, bringing the total to 3,800 cases by the third week of September. The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area is also grappling with a surge, adding 373 new cases last week, totaling 1,764 cases for the year.

BMC areas have consistently reported over 300 cases for the past three weeks. This surge is among the sharpest in recent years, according to a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) official, and Mayor Firhad Hakim expressed his concern. Despite extensive efforts by the vector control team, certain city localities are experiencing a continuous increase in cases, prompting the need for heightened vigilance in the coming month.

KMC workers are striving to contain the spread in various areas, including those in the southern parts like Dhakuria, Jadavpur, and Behala, as well as northern areas such as Dum Dum and Girish Park. Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh expressed concern about the rapid spread around College Street, partly attributed to the unfinished construction of the Barnaparichay market nearby. Comparatively, last September saw 1,294 cases in BMC areas, while this year has already seen over 1,000 cases reported in September.