100 dead in India due to mosquito borne diseases

The number of deaths in India due to an outbreak of the mosquito-borne dengue and chikungunya viruses hit 100, a hospital official said, as authorities struggled to contain the spread of the diseases. "So far, six more people have died from dengue in Delhi over the past 24 hours," said the official at a control room at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the country's premier facility. With about 1,500 cases, New Delhi and its neighbouring states were the worst hit by dengue, a viral infection transmitted to humans through bites of the female Aedes mosquitoes. The disease causes a severe, flu-like illness and internal bleeding.