Dengue draws first blood

Dreaded leptospirosis rears its ugly head, the first case is reported at Wadia Hospital

It is that time of the year again, when it pours and the city gets waterlogged. Swirling in the muddy waters are viruses - both water-borne and vector-borne - triggering a plethora of monsoon-related illnesses.

While malaria claimed its first victim of the season last Wednesday, the first death due to dengue - caused by the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes - was reported from Andheri on Monday. The patient, 73-year-old Vinayak Mahadev Bapat, who lived in Vijaynagar Society in Andheri, died of the dreaded fever at Sanjivani Hospital on Monday morning, said officials of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

“The patient was admitted to the hospital on June 13 with symptoms of dengue. He had several other problems like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease and expired at 6.30 am on Monday,” said Dr Santosh Jadia, intensivist at the hospital. Both state health department and BMC have categorised dengue as the most potential threat this year.

Malaria claimed its second victim of the season, when a 23-year-old Andheri resident died at KEM hospital on Sunday night, added civic health department officials.

Making matter worse, the first case of the dreaded leptospirois was reported at Wadia Hospital on Monday. “In the past 24 hours, 17 cases of malaria, 74 cases of fever and 29 cases of gastroenteritis have been registered in various civic hospitals across the city,” said Dr Neera Kewalramani, head of the epidemiological cell, BMC.

As the rains have just begun, the soaring numbers of monsoon-related illnesses have caused concern. Over 2,100 have taken ill in the city ever since the beginning of monsoon on June 6. There have been 1,385 cases of fever, 425 cases of gastroenteritis, 16 cases of dengue, 273 cases of malaria and one leptospirosis, said BMC officials.

While lack of hygiene and construction activities in the city are being blamed for malaria and dengue, private practitioners believe that the civic authorities should not be made solely responsible for the outbreak of monsoon-related ailments in the city. “You cannot blame the civic authorities and the government when you invite diseases by leading an unhealthy or unhygienic life,” said Dr Suhas Pingle, general secretary, General Practitioner’s Association of Mumbai.

According to Dr Pingle, keeping monsoon-related ailments at bay is a matter of following some simple rules: avoid eating out, avoid drinking contaminated water, ensure there are no stagnant pools of water where mosquitoes can breed and avoid going out in water-logged areas, especially barefoot.

s_deepa@dnaindia.net