Between July 1 and 16, Mumbai city saw 264 dengue patients. The figure is 74% of the overall cases (352) recorded in June. As per the data provided by the civic health department, 173 out of 264 cases were reported between July 9 and 16 while the remaining 91 came to fore in the first eight days of July. Besides, there has also been a significant rise in the number of malaria, leptospirosis, hepatitis and swine flu patients in the fortnight.
Rise in water & vector-born diseases in Maharashtra
A senior official from the state health department said that water-borne and vector-borne diseases are on the rise all over Maharashtra and have reached pre-Covid level. There are incidences where patients have been infected with both dengue and malaria, he added.
Attributing the dengue rise to better surveillance, a doctor from the civic health department said, “Hospitalisation rate is still low. Currently physicians are treating 10-20 cases of dengue-like illnesses in their outpatient departments daily.” Meanwhile, Dr Sanjay Patil, Chairman of the Indian Medical Association’s Hospital Board of India, Pune chapter, suspected that dengue figures are more than the civic body’s data.
Rise in Chikungunya and Other Infections
Underlining that cases of chikungunya are also on the rise, a senior health official said that monsoon brings along with it a deluge of infectious fevers such as malaria, dengue and leptospirosis besides other water-borne infections. All these infections present with fever, body ache, myalgia, jaundice, joint pains, diarrhoea, etc.
“Though most patients have mild illness and recover, some may have an ominous presentation like severe jaundice, kidney involvement, haemorrhagic manifestations, thrombocytopenia, acute respiratory distress syndrome or altered sensorium. Certain serotypes of dengue are associated with complications and severity; viz serotype 2,” she said.
Additional Health Concerns: Typhoid, H1N3, and Respiratory Infections
Dr Hemalata Arora, Nanavati Max Hospital senior consultant, noted a rise in the number of patients suffering from typhoid, upper respiratory tract infections, throat infections and H1N3. “A high-grade fever around 102-103°F, that typically subsides in a day or two, is common among most of these cases. Recently, we have seen an uptick in dengue cases, predominantly in senior citizens, but none necessitated hospitalisation,” she said.
Asserting that street food should be strictly avoided during monsoon, Dr Arora said, “Changes in weather conditions and sedentary eating habits are leading more people to seek medical attention for symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting, which indicate gastroenteritis. Home-cooked meals and boiled drinking water are the best safeguards against such infections.”
