Tuesday, May 17 2005 07:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Three more deaths were reported due to probable meningococcaemia in New Delhi taking the toll to 26 even as authorities claimed that the disease had been controlled with only six new suspected cases.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), GTB Hospital and LNJP hospital each reported one death, MCD's Director of Hospital administration J N Banavaliker told reporters.

The total number of affected people has risen to 303 while 141 people have been discharged from various hospitals, he said.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed the disease in 17 people, including 6 from outside Delhi, he said.

He said authorities were organising an awareness drive in which informative material on the disease was being sent to councillors.

Eighty per cent of people affected by the disease were in the age group of 15-30 years, 60 per cent in the age group 21-30 years and 20 per cent in the age group of 15-20 years.

He said the disease was showing a declining trend with lesser number of new cases being reported.

On cholera, he said this year from January to May 15, 148 cholera cases were reported in comparison with 542 last year. In May, there were 76 cases this year while in 2004 during the same period there were 126 cases.

The authorities had checked water at 1728 sites in Delhi, of which 59 were found to have contaminated water unfit for drinking, he said.

Absence of chlorine in water indicated contamination, he said adding such inspections are carried out every week.