Maharashtra recorded 13,955 dengue cases and 11 deaths between January 1 and October 21, 2026, with health officials linking the increase partly to water storage during drought-like conditions across several districts. The case count is 3,031 higher than during the same period last year, while deaths have increased by eight.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads dengue lays eggs in clean, stagnant water. With several districts facing water shortages, households are storing water for longer periods, creating additional breeding sites inside and around homes, according to information cited by the state health department.
The rise has been reported in parts of Marathwada, including Latur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Parbhani, as well as in Khandesh districts such as Jalgaon and Dhule. Dengue cases have also increased in Pune, where the death of a girl has drawn criticism of the municipal health department.
State health department joint director Dr Sandeep Sangle said the mosquito can lay between 300 and 400 eggs in clean water. He said the prevailing conditions and the need to store water during shortages were contributing to the increase in cases. The mosquito can bite 10 to 12 people in a day and generally flies within a range of 300 to 400 metres, which can contribute to multiple infections within a household or neighbourhood.
The reported state total of 13,955 cases up to October 21 compares with 10,924 cases during the corresponding period last year. The number of deaths rose from two to 11. District-level figures cited in the report include 175 cases in Latur, 81 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 156 in Jalgaon, 275 in Nashik and 215 in Malegaon.
The health department has advised residents to keep stored water containers covered. Officials have also said that health workers should be contacted where large water storage areas exist so that guppy fish can be introduced as a mosquito-control measure.
The outbreak places local bodies and municipal health departments in the position of managing two linked risks at once: ensuring access to stored drinking water during shortages and preventing those storage arrangements from becoming mosquito-breeding sites. The department’s immediate guidance is focused on covering water stocks and coordinating local action in larger storage areas.
