Painter Swaroop Mukerji, 75, a resident of Sunny Park in Ballygunge, died of dengue on Saturday after a brief spell of fever, a family member said on Monday.
Civic officials said that Mukerji’s death is the first reported dengue fatality in the Calcutta municipal area this year.
“He had diabetes and asthma. The death certificate listed dengue shock syndrome as the cause of death,” said a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) official.
Earlier, on June 21, a 13-year-old from Dum Dum Cantonment, under the Dum Dum Municipality, had also died of dengue.
Mukerji first complained of fever on August 4. A test on August 6 confirmed dengue, said his daughter Shaneel Mukerji.
“His platelet count had dropped to 35,000 per microliter. We admitted him to Manipal Hospitals, EM Bypass, on August 6 evening. His condition worsened rapidly, and he passed away on Saturday,” she said.
Doctors said the normal platelet count ranges between 1,50,000 and 4,50,000 per microliter.
“He was with friends at a south Calcutta club on August 3, just the evening before his fever started. It all happened suddenly,” Shaneel added.
Mukerji is survived by his daughter Shaneel, a professional in mental health and disability, and his son Suhaan, a Supreme Court advocate.
A renowned painter, Mukerji previously worked in the tea industry. He was invited by President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2005 to work on a series of paintings on the Rashtrapati Bhavan, his daughter said.
In 2003, he painted Raj Bhavan, Calcutta, at the invitation of then-governor Viren J. Shah. In 2012 and 2013, he was commissioned to paint major London landmarks under the aegis of British Heritage, Ministry of Culture.
“His last solo exhibition was held at ITC Sonar earlier this year,” Shaneel said.
Following his death, the KMC served notice to the apartment building where Mukerji lived, instructing residents to remove garbage, clean the rooftop and basement, and eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
Neighbours said two under-construction buildings nearby had pools of stagnant water inside.
Dengue cases
KMC sources said 255 dengue cases were reported in the Calcutta municipal area between January and August 3. Officials apprehend that the number may rise in the second half of the monsoon.
“Frequent heavy rains have helped wash away mosquito larvae. But sunny days after rain create ideal conditions for Aedes aegypti breeding,” a KMC official said.
“We usually see a spike in September. We are continuing our vector-control operations and will not drop our guard,” the official added.