Delhi reports first dengue death this year as SHO of a police station succumbs

SHO Sarita Vihar police station Rajneesh Sharma fell ill with dengue fever and was admitted to the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in Delhi five days ago where he died on Wednesday morning.

New Delhi: In an alarming development, Delhi has reported the first dengue death this year. Station House Officer (SHO) of Delhi's Sarita Vihar police station, Rajneesh Sharma, died due to dengue on Wednesday at the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in Rohini, officials said. Sharma was admitted to the hospital five days ago after complaining of fever.

He was diagnosed with dengue at the hospital. Despite treatment, his health deteriorated and he breathed his last this morning, said an official. Sharma was earlier posted as SHO of New Delhi Railway Station. His sudden death has come as a shock to the family and colleagues alike. More than 900 cases of dengue have been reported in the capital in the month of October taking the overall cases to 1,876 this year.

A total of 194 cases of malaria and 38 cases of chikungunya have also been reported. This is the first death due to dengue in the national capital this year. Last year, 23 died due to dengue in Delhi. Dengue is a viral disease which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquito species. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dengue symptoms include fever, aches and pains, or a rash lasting 2–7 days.