In September, Mumbai experienced a significant surge in dengue infections, with a total of 1,360 reported cases, marking a stark increase of over 300 cases compared to the previous month, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Ravi Raja, the former opposition leader in the civic body, raised concerns about the BMC’s insecticide department, which reported detecting more than 900 mosquito breeding sites daily. Dengue, a viral illness, is transmitted through mosquito bites. The civic body’s monsoon-related diseases report indicated that Mumbai had recorded 353 dengue cases in June and 413 in July.

The report mentioned a slight uptick in dengue cases for the current week. Raja, a member of the Congress party, criticized the BMC’s efforts to combat dengue, stating, “We don’t see consistent and serious efforts on the part of @mybmc to combat the dengue menace.”

According to the BMC report, malaria cases also saw an increase in September. The city reported 676, 721, 1,080, and 1,313 cases of malaria in June, July, August, and September, respectively.

On a positive note, cases of leptospirosis, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, and chikungunya decreased in September. The BMC identified 16,843 Aedes mosquito breeding sites during inspections of more than 1.22 million households and 1.307 million containers in September.

To protect themselves from mosquito-borne illnesses, city residents are advised to use mosquito nets at night, wear protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites, maintain clean surroundings, and ensure that no mosquito breeding occurs in plastic or other containers, as recommended by the BMC.