Dengue has struck again. This time claiming the life of a 33-year-old BMC staffer, Sandeep Gaikwad, who succumbed to dengue at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Nair Hospital on Saturday. It was only last week that dengue claimed the life of a 23-year-old resident doctor in the city.

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Gaikwad is the eighth victim of dengue this year. He was a class IV employee in the women and child welfare department at BMC.

"Gaikwad was admitted to the hospital on Oct 25. He was in an extremely serious condition and was on ventilator. Unfortunately, he died a week later, on November 1," said Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean, Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central.

Doctors confirmed that Gaikwad's platelet count had dipped to 55,000. Normal platelet count of a human being ranges between 1.5–2 lakh.

"Gaikwad tested positive for dengue NS1 (blood) tests and was in a critical condition due to low platelet count," said a senior doctor.

This year, dengue has affected 755 people in Mumbai of which eight have died to date.Gaikwad is the third BMC employee to have died of dengue, which claimed the lives of two resident doctors, Dr Shruti Khobragade (KEM Hospital) and Dr Sumedh Pazhare (Nair Hospital).The epidemiology cell in BMC, which keeps record of dengue deaths in the city, has however, not confirmed Gaikwad's death. Dengue is a notifiable disease and it's mandatory for the epidemiology cell to maintain records of dengue deaths.

"I have not received any information regarding the death and will confirm it only after inquiry," said Dr Mangala Gomare, head, epidemiology cell, BMC.Death due to dengue shock syndromeDna had access to BMC employee Gaikwad's death certificate. It mentions the cause of his death as Dengue Shock Syndrome. Gaikwad suffered from liver failure and respiratory distress. He was also a diabetic and had later developed pneumonia as a result of dengue infection.