BMC braces to curb spike in dengue, malaria cases

Amid a rise in vectorborne diseases like dengue malaria and chikungunya the BMC has ramped up its drive to bring down cases The city has seen 365 dengue cases so far this year compared with 129 last yearldquoThe number of cases has gone up and it is a matter of concern as some deaths have been reported We have asked pesticide control officers to focus on the inspection and treatment to reduce the spread of breedingrdquo said a senior BMC official after a review meeting at the civic headquarters Authorities will intensify indoor inspections in pockets that have seen a spurt in cases The Aedes mosquitoescarrier of the dengue virus is found in stagnant freshwaterDuring the twoweek drive against these vectorborne diseases the BMC plans to take the help of local councillors and advanced locality managements ALM which are citizen groups ldquoWe want Mumbaikars to be proactive and ensure there is no fresh stagnant water at their home and societyrdquo said the BMC health official The spike in cases has also left doctors worried Dr Behram Pardiwala head of Internal Medicine Wockhardt Hospital Mumbai Central said he has treated 4050 chikungunya patients in the past six weeksldquoDuring this monsoon season I have seen an increase in dengue chikungunya and malaria cases The presentation is almost always high fever with chills Sometimes you can get the rash also especially in dengue feverrdquo he saidDr Pardiwala warned people not to go for selfmedication as it may trigger serious complications ldquoAnother thing that has been noticeable this season is that the patients with dengue come in a more serious condition with lower platelet counts and very high ferritin levels We have warned patients from taking selfmedication for any type of feverrdquo he saidDr Hemlata Arora Senior Consultant Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital said the prevalence of chikungunya was negligible last year due to minimal human activity ldquoBut in the past one month Irsquove treated about 78 chikungunya patients two of whom needed hospitalisation Though chikungunya is not a lifethreatening infection it can cause rashes and joint pain which may last for 34 monthsrdquo she saidWhile chikungunya is often confused with dengue malaria or typhoid due to the similarity in symptoms doctors say timely intervention and testing can help detect the infection sooner ldquoThe infection may aggravate joint problems and arthritis in elderlies who suffer severe symptoms of chikungunya as compared to their younger counterpartsrdquo Dr Arora saidShe also agreed that there is a rise in dengue cases ldquoI have treated about 3540 dengue patients on an OPD basis 10 of whom needed admission due to complications All patients have presented classical symptoms such as high fever headache body ache rashes and severe fatigue In some patients we witnessed significant platelet drops as low as 8000 but due to optimal medical management they recovered without any further complications Dengue has also caused kidney problems as secondary complications but the cases are rarerdquo Dr Arora saidDr Vikrant Shah consulting physician intensivist and infectious disease specialist Zen Hospital Chembur said ldquoWe reported 32 dengue cases and 7 chikungunya cases in this month In the last few weeks we have also seen a considerable rise in malaria patientsrdquoHe said that they are seeing many such patients getting hospitalised with lower platelet counts ldquoJust make sure that mosquitoes do not breed in stagnant water keep water storage containers clean and covered and dispose of trash properly wear fullsleeved clothes donrsquot wade through waterlogged roads use mosquito repellentsrdquo said Dr Shah365No of dengue cases this year