NEW DELHI: Dengue has gripped several parts of India’s southern state of Karnataka, nearly seven persons were suspected to have died due to the viral disease and over 7,000 cases registered, confirmed a state health department official, reported Xinhua.

Over 1,000 cases were registered in the state capital Bengaluru alone.

Among the districts severely affected by dengue were Hassan, Chikmagalur, Bengaluru and Mysore.

Considering the rising number of dengue cases, federal lawmaker from the Bengaluru Rural constituency and noted cardiologist C.N. Manjunath urged the state government to declare dengue as a “state medical emergency”.

He warned that if the breeding of mosquitoes was not contained, it could also lead to Chikungunya, Zika, and other harmful diseases.

Media reports quoted the lawmaker as saying, “The cases are soaring close to 7,000 in the state with about six to seven deaths. Hassan, Chikmagalur, Bengaluru, and Mysore, among other districts, are seeing a steep rise in dengue cases. The government has to declare a state medical emergency to control the infection.”

Meanwhile, the country’s capital city New Delhi was also witnessing a dengue outbreak, as a total of 240 cases had been registered till Saturday night. - Bernama, Xinhua