New Delhi, Oct 4, IRNA -- Over 400 new dengue cases have been reported in the last three days in India’s national capital Delhi, taking the total number of such patients in the city to 2,500 so far this year.

A total of 2,557 cases have been reported till today with north Delhi alone registering over 1,200 cases, according to an MCD report.

Till Sept. 30, a total of 2,124 cases had been reported by the civic bodies.

While the official death toll stands at three, six casualties are being treated by the municipal bodies as cases of suspected death due to dengue.

The capital had witnessed a wide incidence of dengue in 2010, with over 6,000 cases reported. While 1,131 cases were reported in 2011, the number of dengue patients in the city last year was 2,093.

This time, while the North corporation has reported 1,205 cases followed by the South corporation with 653 and East corporation with 585 cases, 69 cases have come to light in regions outside the jurisdiction of MCD.

While cases in Rohini Zone now touch 500, Shah (North) and Shah (South) Zones saw 276 and 289 cases, respectively. Narela (213), Najafgarh (210) and Civil Lines (213), too, had a high incidence of dengue.

The three municipal corporations yesterday launched a sanitation-cum-cleanliness drive in their respective zones with a view to maintaining a healthy environment and also to combat dengue.

Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. It is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows a benign course with symptoms such as headache, fever.exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollenglands and rash. Other signs of dengue fever include bleeding gums, severe pain behind the eyes, and red palms and soles.

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