New Delhi: Delhi reported over 2,400 dengue cases in October, marking the highest monthly total in four years, according to official data. This surge, more than twice the cases recorded in September, represents the peak for any month in 2023. However, a recent study offers some hope in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
October also saw significant increases in malaria and chikungunya cases, both reaching their highest levels in the past four years. Malaria cases, in particular, spiked to 279, compared to 37 in 2023, 75 in 2022, 47 in 2021, and 34 in 2020.
Cumulatively, dengue cases this year have reached 4,061, with three fatalities. By the end of October, the total number of cases reported in 2023 stood at 9,266, with 6,003 cases occurring by October. For comparison, October 2023 saw 2,003 cases, versus 1,238 in October 2022, 1,196 in 2021, and 346 in 2020. The Najafgarh zone was the hardest hit, with 613 cases.
A recent study from the University of California, Santa Barbara, may hold a key to controlling mosquito populations. Researchers discovered that male mosquitoes rely on their sense of hearing to locate and pursue female mates. When male mosquitoes were deprived of their hearing or had their auditory pathways disrupted, they avoided mating.
According to the study, female mosquitoes beat their wings at around 500 Hz, attracting males flying at about 800 Hz. Mosquitoes possess more auditory neurons than any other insect. The researchers silenced a protein called trpVa, essential for hearing, and observed that deafened male mosquitoes failed to mate when placed in a cage with females.
