With seven fresh cases reported last week, the number of people suffering from malaria in the National Capital has reached 72. Four fresh cases of dengue were also reported in a week, taking the total number to 77 this year.

According to data provided by municipal corporations out of total dengue cases, 31 patients who diagnosed with the disease belong to Delhi while 24 patients traced here were from different states and other 12 patients did not provide their address.

Meanwhile, mosquito-breeding has been reported in at least 24205households in Delhi and 20,214 legal notices have been issued and 442 number of prosecutions launched this year, according to data released by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).

The dengue breeding checkers have checked 10110515 premises and also issued challans to 442 numbers of office and residential premises.

A senior SDMC official said that all the preventive steps have been taken to reduce the cases. “The key to prevention of Dengue is ensuring there is no clean stagnant water in homes and around, which does not allow the Aedes mosquitoes to breed, and therefore dengue cannot spread,” he said.

Dengue mosquito larvae breed in clear, standing water while those of malaria mosquito thrive even in dirty water. Doctors have advised people to take precautions and ensure that there is no breeding of mosquito larvae around them. They have urged people to wear full-sleeves clothes and use mosquito nets.

The malaria parasite is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite mainly between dusk and dawn.

According to the World Health Organisation malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium.

Human malaria is caused by four different species of Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax.