As summer comes, viral infections abound in city

With summer beginning to set in and the temperature on the rise — the maximum temperature was 32.8 C on Friday — doctors in the city are seeing a spike in virus-borne illnesses. Chicken pox, respiratory infections and hand, foot and mouth disease are doing the rounds.

Padma Appaji, consultant paediatrician at the Vijaya Group of Hospitals, said there were a number of cases of chicken pox, and other viral illnesses, going around. The Institute of Child Health Egmore, too, has been getting cases of chicken pox, but there has been no alarming rise, a senior official said. “Those who have not been vaccinated can take the chicken pox vaccine. In case of other viruses, hygiene, especially hand hygiene, is very important to prevent transmission. Parents can try to see that children avoid crowded areas,” said Dr. Appaji.

See a doctor early

For chicken pox, said S. Sivaramakannan, senior consultant in internal medicine at Kauvery Hospital, it was best to see a doctor early in order to prevent new lesions. “We are also seeing cases of viral diarrhoea and jaundice,” he said, stressing the need for residents to drink clean water, preferably water that had been at boiling point for ten minutes.

V. Lakshmi, neonatologist at Dr. Mehta’s Hospitals, said she had seen many cases of viral respiratory illnesses in babies in the last two weeks or so. “This week, there has been a slight reduction in cases.”

A lot of children with prolonged fever and respiratory symptoms probably caused by adenovirus have come to the Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital in the last two months, said senior consultant paediatrician Janani Sankar. In some cases, adults in the family were also affected. Hand, foot and mouth disease was also being seen, she said.

Parents could avoid sending their children to school if they had a fever. Water bottles should not be shared, to prevent transmission, said J.K. Reddy, consultant paediatrician at Apollo Hospitals. “At home, children should be encouraged to have more liquids,” he said.

As the city gets hotter over the next few weeks, he said staying hydrated and avoiding exposure to the sun was also important to prevent urinary tract infections and sun stroke.