Mumbai: Doctors’ prediction that there would be a spurt in dengue post the August 29 deluge has turned out to be true with the city recording 102 confirmed cases in the first 11 days of this month. Between January and August, nearly 290 people were infected.
Stagnant water and increased humidity is conducive for the mosquito and the virus it carries.
Dr. Avinash Supe, Dean of Parel’s KEM Hospital, said the number of cases in the outpatient department and those needing hospitalisation has gone up. “These patients have symptoms of rash, fever, and body ache.” Some of them with extremely low platelet count and internal bleeding required admissions to the ICU.
According to Dr. Supe, most are taking more than eight days to recover from the fever and weakness which was not the case earlier. In mild cases, patients would recover in three-four days.
Dr. Hemant Gupta, who practises in JJ Hospital and Bombay Hospital, said he has seen 15 confirmed cases in the last 10 days, all needing hospitalisation. “There is no specific treatment. We offer only symptomatic treatment and one has to have plenty of fluids. If a patient does not have any kind of bleeding, he or she can recover at home too.”
Dr. Gupta said many patients panic and insist on hospitalisation. One of the immediate effects is a fall in platelet count. While normal platelet count ranges from 1.5 lakh to 4.5 lakh, some dengue patients have a count as low as 5,000. “But as symptoms start subsiding, the platelets start rising automatically. We avoid giving a transfusion if the patient does not have any internal bleeding.”
Civic officials say one of the reasons for the spread of dengue is little participation from citizens.
“During our field visits, we find unwanted objects lying in window grilles, terraces, and other open areas. People ignore following something as basic as putting a lid on water containers,” said BMC’s insecticide officer Dr. Rajan Naringrekar. He said one breeding spot is found in every 10 to 15 drums filled with water.
On Wednesday, Dr. Naringrekar and his team visited an area in Goregaon, which reported a suspected case of dengue. “When we reached the building, we found posters of dos and don’ts put up prominently at the entrance. But when we looked around, the box window grilles of every house was stuffed with unwanted objects that are conducive for water stagnation and breeding.”