Mumbai: Over 1,000 malaria cases recorded in six months

At a time when doctors in the city are still tackling the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus, the BMC has reported more than 1,000 malaria cases in the first six months of the year.
According to the monsoon ailments data provided by the BMC’s public health department, 1,510 malaria cases have been reported in the city between January to June 13. However, in 2020, there were 5,007 cases.
Officials believe that the cases are low as citizens have taken all the necessary precautions due to the ongoing pandemic. However, the civic body is investigating the matter to know the exact reason for the increase in cases.
Dr. Mangala Gomare, executive health official of the BMC, said, “The insecticide department has carried out continuous fumigation during the pandemic. Another aspect is that people are maintaining cleanliness in their home and surroundings.”
Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said that since the outbreak of the virus, civic officials have been on their toes to curb other illnesses, which have always taken a toll on the health of residents. They have been taking preventive steps to create awareness about water-borne diseases. “Though we began the preparations to tackle water-borne diseases late, we have still kept it under control. We carried out sanitation and fumigation work on a large scale. We also oiled the stagnant water to destroy the breeding ground of the mosquitoes,” he said.
A senior doctor from a civic-run hospital said, “Malaria is caused by a parasite that attacks the blood cells, whereas Covid is a viral infection and affects the respiratory and endothelial cells. They have no scientific reason for their co-existence.”