BMC braces to curb spike in dengue, malaria cases

A civic health worker collects blood samples for malaria and dengue tests, at Thakur Village, Kandivli, on September 12, 2020. File pic/Satej Shinde

Amid a rise in vector-borne 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 year.

"The 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 breeding," 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 mosquitoes-carrier of the dengue virus is found in stagnant freshwater.

During the two-week drive against these vector-borne diseases, the BMC plans to take the help of local councillors and advanced locality managements (ALM), which are citizen groups. "We want Mumbaikars to be proactive and ensure there is no fresh, stagnant water at their home and society," 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 40-50 chikungunya patients in the past six weeks.

"During 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 fever," he said.

Dr Pardiwala warned people not to go for self-medication as it may trigger serious complications. "Another 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 self-medication for any type of fever," he said.

Dr 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. "But in the past one month, I've treated about 7-8 chikungunya patients, two of whom needed hospitalisation. Though chikungunya is not a life-threatening infection, it can cause rashes and joint pain which may last for 3-4 months," she said.

While 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. "The infection may aggravate joint problems and arthritis in elderlies, who suffer severe symptoms of chikungunya as compared to their younger counterparts," Dr Arora said.

She also agreed that there is a rise in dengue cases. "I have treated about 35-40 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 8,000 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 rare," Dr Arora said.

Dr Vikrant Shah, consulting physician, intensivist and infectious disease specialist, Zen Hospital, Chembur, said. "We 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 patients."

He said that they are seeing many such patients getting hospitalised with lower platelet counts. "Just make sure that mosquitoes do not breed in stagnant water, keep water storage containers clean and covered, and dispose of trash properly, wear full-sleeved clothes, don't wade through waterlogged roads, use mosquito repellents," said Dr Shah.

365
No. of dengue cases this year