Sharp rise in viral ailments

Dengue Wreaking Havoc, Kids Suffering From Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease: Docs

Pratibha Masand | TNN
 

Mumbai: The city, which had just started to relax after the first wave of swine flu, has other problems to contend with. Apart from the benign hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) targeting children, doctors are seeing an increase in the number of cases of dengue as well as other viral diseases across the city.
    Paediatricians have reported a high increase in HMFD cases over the past fortnight. Dr Nitin Shah, a paediatrician attached to Hinduja Hospital in Mahim, says he has seen at least 30 children suffering from HFMD in the past two weeks.
    “We get many children with rashes and slight fever.
It is a new type of disease and the city will take some time to understand that the only
way to prevent it is to maintain proper hygiene,’’ said Dr Shah, adding that children are more prone to HMFD as they tend to come in contact with the virus through each other.
    Meanwhile, general practitioners say dengue is wreaking havoc in the city. According to BMC statistics, one person has succumbed to dengue and a total of 126 people have been admitted to civic hospitals in the first 12 days of October.
    Private doctors, too, are seeing an “unending spate’’ of dengue cases. “Of all the cases we get, more than 60% are those pertaining to dengue,’’ explained general practitioner Dr Hemant Thacker, a consultant at Jaslok, Breach Candy, Bhatia and Bombay hospitals. “At all the hospitals where I consult, we get a large number of patients every hour with high fever, rashes and low WBC and platelet counts,’’ he pointed out.
    “Not every patient we get can be put through the dengue test. But there is a 10% increase in dengue cases as compared to last month,’’ said Dr Suhas Pingle from Indian Medical Association.
    “There are so many strains of dengue. Not all of them can be tested in laboratories. So, even if one tests negative for dengue, one cannot be too sure. Itching, rashes with high fever and rapidly dropping platelet counts are a sure sign of dengue,’’ said Dr Thacker.
MALARIA CLAIMS 4 MORE LIVES
    There appears to be no respite from the outbreak of malaria in the city. According to a BMC update, 26 people have already succumbed to malaria this month. A total of 1,051 people have been admitted to civic hospitals for malaria while 3,220 suffering from fever of unknown origin have been admitted to civic hospitals in the first 12 days alone.
    On Monday, malaria claimed four lives. A 22-yearold man from Mazgaon died at Nair Hospital while a 12-yearold boy from Andheri (W) succumbed at Cooper Hospital.
    A 65-year-old man from Malad and a 45-year-old man from Dadar died at KEM Hospital due to complications arising out of malaria. TNN