For the third time this monsoon, pouring rains brought the country's commercial capital to a standstill with total disruption in road and rail traffic and flights on Wednesday. Due to the heavy rains, water-logging was reported in many parts of Mumbai, which has raised the fear of leptospirosis and other monsoon-related ailments. This comes after people waded through flooded tracks infested with rodents.
According to Mid-Day, civic hospitals have been put on alert. Dr Ketan Vagholkar, DY Patil Hospital, Nerul, told the leading daily, "Floodwater is a mixture of rain and sewage water, which contains dangerous organisms. Spiro organisms present in rodent urine entering the human body can cause gastro or even haemorrhagic fever, including lepton and skin infection."
Dr Wiqar Shaikh from GMC told the Mid-Day, "The organisms may enter via wounds in the leg or from between infected toe-nails." The BMC said civic dispensaries and ward offices have preventive medicines.
The IMD has issued a 'Red Alert' for Mumbai and surrounding districts which could be lashed by very heavy rains over the next two-three days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in several parts of the city and suburbs in the next 48 hours. "Mumbai most likely to get continuous rains and showers with the possibility of extremely heavy falls at isolated places in city and suburbs for the next 48 hours," an IMD release read.
