LUCKNOW, Sept. 30 -- Dengue is spreading faster in Lucknow this year, with 111 cases reported in August and 144 between September 1 and 26, against 97 and 120 cases in the same periods of 2025, according to data from the district malaria officer's office. However, the numbers were higher in 2024, when 105 cases were recorded in August and 257 between September 1 and 26. The rise has prompted health officials to intensify surveillance and vector-control measures across the city, particularly in areas reporting dengue cases. Teams are carrying out source reduction, anti-larva spraying and fogging to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Experts said dengue cases typically begin rising towards the end of July, peak in September and October, and decline after the monsoon. District malaria officer Ritu Srivastava said the situation was currently under control, with most patients recovering and hospitalisation remaining low. "Due to continuous rain in the last few days, accumulated larvae are expected to have been washed away. The temperature has also dropped. If the drop continues with less humidity, we can keep dengue and other vector-borne diseases under control," she said. She said the period after the rains was crucial for controlling mosquito breeding. "As the rain has stopped, our teams are focusing on vulnerable locations where more cases are being reported. Source reduction, anti-larva spraying and fogging have been intensified in coordination with other departments," Srivastava said. The city has 110 wards, with five malaria inspectors and their dedicated teams overseeing vector-control activities. Srivastava said area-wise surveillance was conducted before the monsoon based on locations that had reported more cases the previous year. "After the rains, our focus shifts to case-based activities. Wherever cases are reported, teams are deployed for source reduction," she said. PK Srivastava, city health officer, Lucknow Municipal Corporation, said fogging and anti-larva spraying were being carried out regularly in different parts of the city. Dr Sheetal Verma of the department of microbiology at King George's Medical University said repeated monsoon rainfall and waterlogging may have increased stagnant-water breeding sites for Aedes mosquitoes in Lucknow. She said warm temperatures and high humidity favour mosquito survival, biting activity and dengue transmission. Household containers, coolers, discarded items and construction sites can sustain breeding between rainfall episodes....