Mumbai: Gastro cases on the rise; doctors urge people to drink clean water, eat safe food

To prevent malaria, doctors say, people should use mosquito nets

Watch out for gastro, and avoid contaminated food and water. This is the message doctors have sought to give to Mumbaikars citing rising cases of the stomach ailment, which is marked by diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. In the first three days of this month, the city has reported 40 cases of gastroenteritis. This apart, there were 39 malaria and 7 dengue cases between July 1 and July 3.

Mumbai had reported 3,110 gastro cases in 2021, while the first six months of 2022 had 2,946 cases. As monsoon advances, civic officials said, water-borne and vector-borne cases are also on the rise. Experts said self-hygiene is a must and people should keep an eye out that there should not be mosquito breeding sites in and outside their homes.

Gastro spreads via contaminated food or water. File pic

"Monsoon, drinking contaminated water and eating spoiled food, especially those who eat on a roadside stall and also uncooked food are the reasons behind the rise in infection. Patients come with complaints of vomiting, and diarrhoea. It is important to drink purified water. Sometimes there are leaks in water pipes that get contaminated with drainage water," said Dr Amit Maydeo, director and chief of Gastroenterology & Therapeutic Endoscopy at Global Hospital. Officials said cases of mosquito-borne disease are increasing in E (Reay Road and Madanpura) and HE wards (Indira Nagar, Gaondevi, Vakola pipeline).

Dr Vikrant Shah, consulting physician, intensivist, and infectious disease specialist, Zen Multispeciality Hospital, said the symptoms of viral and COVID tend to overlap. "If one is having joint pain, fever, chills, cough, sore throat, tiredness, runny nose, or loss of appetite for more than 3 days then the person should do a COVID test."

Dr Tushar Rane, internal medicine expert, Apollo Spectra Hospital, said, "Malaria and dengue cases are rising in Mumbai while leptospirosis, and chikungunya have not been reported yet. Water stagnation can give rise to leptospirosis as well. To prevent malaria and dengue, wear full-sleeved clothes, use mosquito repellents, close windows during the evening, keep the surroundings clean and avoid water stagnation near the house as mosquitoes prefer damp and dark places. Do not ignore symptoms of malaria and dengue such as muscle pain, body ache, vomiting, fever, and headache, and consult the doctor immediately."

3,110
No of gastro cases in all of 2021

2,946
No of gastro cases till June this yr