Mumbai: According to the public health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), there has been a drop in the number of leptospirosis and malaria cases in August 2019 compared to the corresponding period in August 2018.
In the first 10 days of August, the city has witnessed 259 cases of malaria and 15 cases of leptospirosis, while 853 cases of malaria and 46 cases of leptospirosis were reported in the same period last year.
Senior health official said the cases have been reduced due to the continuous awareness and timely treatment given to the patients in all dispensaries and hospitals.
“We had conducted several surveys in the slum areas of the city due to which cases of leptospirosis was under control. We had also distributed medicines, including Doxycycline capsules for adults and Azithromycin tablets for the pregnant women and prophylaxis for children,” said a doctor.
The report submitted by the civic health department states there were 21 cases of dengue, 15 cases of leptospirosis, 259 cases of malaria, 60 cases of hepatitis, 24 cases of H1N1 and 200 cases of gastroenteritis recorded in civic hospitals until August 11.
Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer of the public health department, said a community awareness programme with Information Education and Communication (IEC) about the symptoms are organised across the wards.
“Activities like daily disease surveillance, early diagnosis and treatment, implementation of immediate control measures, IEC activities, prompt analysis of reports and management guidelines by EPID department etc, are contributing factors for the reduction of cases,” said a health official.
The advisory issued by the BMC says food and water-borne diseases are reasonably common during the monsoon, especially when one eats outside food. Wrong food habits lead to several infections.
Consumption of contaminated food can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and food poisoning. Prevention is better than cure, so the best way to avoid ailments is to avoid eating and drinking outside food.
Washing hands before the meal is a must, and a habit of drinking boiled water must be made.
