Delhi has registered 2,708 dengue cases till November 6, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday, citing figures from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Nine people have died due to the disease in the city this year.

This is the highest number of confirmed dengue deaths recorded in Delhi since 2017, according to The Times of India. In 2017, ten people had died because of dengue in the national capital.

Dengue is transmitted by female mosquitoes. Open drains and stagnant water pools are breeding grounds for the mosquitoes.

Symptoms of the dengue vary with some people showing no sign of infection, and others suffering from severe flu-like symptoms. The disease also causes severe pain in muscles and bones.

Out of the nine dengue patients who have died in Delhi this year, six are children, the Hindustan Times reported, citing unidentified officials.

Children aged between eight and 15 are more likely to get bitten by mosquitoes and contract dengue because they go to schools and venture out to play, Dr Krishan Chugh, the director of the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, told the Hindustan Times.

“They are also more likely to die because their immune system is not fine-tuned and can react incorrectly, causing death, liver failure, and other such complications,” Dr Chugh added.

Last week, the Centre had deputed expert teams to Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir to help them control the dengue outbreak.

HC issues notice to government

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation to respond to a petition seeking adequate measures to control the dengue outbreak, PTI reported.

The petitioner, a dengue patient who lives in North Delhi’s Model Town area, accused the authorities of not taking action to control the infection, according to the news agency.

The woman said she was worried about children and senior citizens in her family contracting the disease.

The petitioner said that the authorities should regularly spray insecticides in the area, conduct door-to-door awareness campaigns and form teams “to inspect dengue larvae on the premises/area to invite penalty for violation”.

The court will take up the case again on November 18.