Mumbai: The city has reported a sharp rise in vector-borne diseases over the past two weeks, with an average of 55 malaria and 47 dengue cases daily. Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shows malaria cases have risen by 18 percent, dengue by 48 percent, chikungunya by 47 percent, and leptospirosis by 49 percent since mid-August.
Between January and August 2025, Mumbai logged 5,706 malaria cases, 2,319 dengue cases, and 485 chikungunya cases. While leptospirosis cases (471) are slightly lower than last year (553), officials warn that the overall disease burden is higher than in 2024 due to the early monsoon.
In response, the BMC has ramped up vector-control activities, conducting awareness drives across 3,284 housing societies, 264 schools, and 545 buildings under the “Zero Mosquito Breeding Campaign.” Over 10.6 lakh houses were surveyed under fever surveillance, with 1.84 lakh blood samples collected for tracing.
More than 57,000 mosquito breeding sources were inspected, 65,000 waste items and tyres removed, and fogging operations carried out in 42,770 buildings and 6.39 lakh huts.
Authorities have urged citizens to avoid stagnant water accumulation in and around homes, reminding that mosquito breeding remains the primary driver of these infections.
