Mumbai sees six dengue cases after first spell of monsoon

The first spells of monsoon in the city have accompanied the deadly dengue fever. Six cases of dengue were confirmed in the city. While three patients were admitted in the Wockhardt Hospital at Mumbai Central last week, three more visited the out patient department (OPD) ward of the hospital and were diagnosed with dengue.

All three who were admitted to the hospital have been released. According to the doctors, all six cases of dengue hit people belonging to the age group of 25-50.

Speaking about the cases, Dr Behram Pardiwala, a medicine specialist in the Hospital, said, "We received three dengue patients last week who were admitted in the hospital and were discharged after three days of treatment. We also got 3 patients who were detected as positive dengue cases in the OPD ward but are being treated at home."

Dengue is a viral infection caused by the bite of an Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is already infected with the virus. The primary symptoms of dengue appear three to 15 days after the mosquito bite which includes — high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes that is apparent when trying to move the eyes, joint pain, and rashes.

After the city experienced rain, the water collected in the potholes have become the breeding ground for mosquitoes, leading to the fear of another dengue outbreak.

"We can come across more such cases if we are surrounded with stagnant water. Cases like typhoid and leptospirosis can also be a concern," added Dr Pardiwala.

Speaking about a number of dengue cases this year, Dr Padmaja Keskar, BMC's executive health officer, said, "We haven't yet received data related to detection of dengue cases in the city"