Three cases have been reported from north Delhi zone, two from Shahdara south, one from Connaught Place and one each from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, MCD’s Health department officials said.

The disease has claimed 11 lives so far, out of which four were reported from the Capital, while seven were from the neighbouring states of UP and Haryana.

However, MCD Health Officer N K Yadav said there was no need to panic and that the number of cases reported this year was lesser than the corresponding period last year.

In 2007, 129 cases of meningococcemia were reported while in 2006, more than 200 such cases were reported.

“‘The situation is not serious... but we need to take precautions,” Dr Yadav said. During January and February last year, 10 deaths and 90 cases were reported.

Municipal authorities said they have decided to launch an awareness campaign to check the spread of the bacterial infection this month in the wake of the cases being reported.

MCD’s Standing Committee, under the chairmanship of Vijender Gupta, has also directed health officials to prepare a plan on tackling the disease over the next three months, a senior civic body official said.

The symptoms of meningococcemia include fever, rashes on the body, severe headache, stiff neck and nausea.

During the disease, also called meningococcal meningitis, there is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and the spinal cord, or meningococcemia—the presence of bacteria in blood.

Meningococcal bacteria affect the nerves causing excessive bleeding after which the person dies. The toxins liberated by the bacteria causes a sudden drop in blood pressure, which decreases the amount of oxygen in the tissues.

The bacteria are transmitted from person to person through respiratory secretions, including kissing, sneezing and coughing on someone, sharing eating or drinking utensils.