30 fresh dengue cases in Delhi, over 600 affected

NEW DELHI: The deadly dengue virus continued to infect people in the capital with 30 new cases reported Thursday, taking the total number of patients to more than 600, while Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss is to review the situation later in the day.

"At least 30 fresh cases of dengue have been reported since Wednesday. The total number of affected people is 619," said a senior health official of the Delhi government.

He said the number could go up further as the data compilation of all hospitals in the city had yet to be completed.

Two grandsons of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh - Rohan (11) and Madhav (17) - are being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for "suspected" dengue symptoms. Singh's eldest son-in-law Vijay Tankha, a professor at St. Stephens College here, has also been admitted to the hospital on noticing similar symptoms.

So far 15 people, including a seventh semester student of AIIMS, have died in Delhi due to the mosquito-borne disease.

Ramadoss will hold a review meeting of the health ministers of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states later Thursday.  

At least 40 people have died across the country of dengue so far and 2,700 infected, with Delhi the worst hit. 

According to P.L. Joshi, director of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, last year 157 people had died and 11,985 were affected by dengue.