Dengue hits Indian PM's family

Dengue patients being treated at the special ward at Swamy Daya Nand (SDN) Hospital in New Delhi yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Two national news television channels said two of Singh's grandsons had contracted the mosquito-borne virus. One of them had been admitted to a top public hospital under fire for failing to halt dengue on its own premises.

A spokesman for the prime minister's office refused to confirm or deny the reports.

At least 35 people have died nationwide in the last two weeks from the virus, including 13 in the capital.

India's health minister has summoned top health officials from four dengue fever-hit states to an emergency meeting in the capital on Thursday, but the government has so far stopped short of declaring an epidemic.

Children in the sultry capital have been ordered to wear long-sleeved winter uniforms to school from Wednesday to protect against mosquito bites.

More than 2,000 municipal workers have fanned out in New Delhi to spray insecticide and go house-to-house to tell residents to clean up pools of stagnant water where infected mosquitoes can breed.

Officials say nearly 500 people have been hospitalised with dengue since June in the New Delhi region alone. In southern Kerala state, 12 people have died and some 500 have the fever, said senior state official M.K. Jeevan.