Dengue fever alert in Delhi

A desperate Delhi government has called in the army to combat massive mosquito breeding at the Commonwealth Games athletes village, Indian reports say.

The Indian capital has a confirmed outbreak of the potentially life-threatening dengue fever, carried by mosquitoes.

Australia has updated its travel advisory for India, noting the dengue fever outbreak.

"The Municipal Council of Delhi (MCD) expects the number of cases to rise in September and October," the Australian advisory said.

Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia has called in the army for help, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

"Incessant rains have flooded most parts of the village," Walia told the newspaper.

The Delhi government had previously relied on the MCD to solve the problem.

But the chairman of the MCD's public health committee, VK Monga, said the athletes village for the October 3-14 Games was "particularly in a bad shape".

"Our preventative measures have proved futile," Monga told the newspaper.

"The entry points to the village and the roads outside of it are completely waterlogged, resulting in massive mosquito breeding.

"The water has to be drained out from the surrounding area otherwise the situation will get out of control."

The athletes village is located on the riverbed of the Yamuna River, a natural habitat for mosquitoes.

Hospitals in the vicinity of the athletes village were reporting more than 50 cases of suspected dengue fever each day, the Hindustan Times reported.

The MCD last week began spraying a colourless synthetic pyrethroid paint at the village and Games venues to protect against mosquitoes.

The athletes village was also being fogged with anti-mosquito spray twice daily, the newspaper said.

- AAP