Mumbai: Student dies of dengue

A 19-year-old college student has died of dengue at a suburban Mumbai hospital, the first fatal case in the metropolis since a recent outbreak of the viral disease across the country, a hospital official said on Thursday.

Vishwanath Pandit, a second-year student from Mangelwadi in suburban Juhu, was admitted in an unconcious condition to Asha Parekh Hospital on October 2.

He did not respond to treament and died on Wednesday, B B Gajre, in-charge of the private hospital, told PTI.

"Pandit was brought in an unconscious state and had a very low platelet count in the blood," he said, adding it was a confirmed case of dengue. "He died as he did not respond to treatment and we have notified (the case) to the (municipal) corporation."

Three more persons afflicted by dengue are currently in the hospital and are responding to treatment, he said. They were identified as Salim Khan (22), Prakash Shingare and Heraji Thakur (78).

Residents of Mangelwadi said they wanted civic authorities to spray anti-larvae medicines in water puddles in the area and to undertake fogging.

Meanwhile, Bombay Hospital doctors said 16 confirmed cases of dengue were admitted last month but all the patients were later discharged.

This month, only one case of dengue was reported in the hospital, they said.

According to health officials, there were four dengue-related deaths in Maharashtra between April and September.