5 Common Monsoon Infections And Their Neurological Manifestations: EXCLUSIVE

Some common monsoon infections can have neurological manifestations. Know all about it from our expert Dr Praveen Gupta.

While the rainy season brings much needed relief from the scorching heat of the sun, it also brings with it the risk of infections. Regarded as the most fertile breeding season for disease causing microorganisms, humidity, mud and stagnant water serve as a means of propagating bacteria and viruses.

Some of these infections can have neurological manifestations, adding to the complexity of their clinical presentation. Understanding these conditions is crucial for timely diagnosis and effective management. Besides, it is equally essential to adopt a healthy lifestyle by improving hygienic living conditions during this time of the year.

Leptospirosis

This waterborne infection, also known as Weil's Syndrome, is primarily caused by contact with mud or dirty water; the risks increase if your open wounds or cuts come into contact with such contamination. Therefore, make sure to cover your wounds properly, especially when going outside during the monsoon. Leptospirosis requires early intervention to prevent severe health complications. Neurological leptospirosis often presents with meningitis and clouded sensorium in the early phase, and typical neurological manifestations include headache, vomiting, and meningeal irritation in the late phase. Other neurological manifestations include meningoencephalitis, intracerebral bleed, myeloradiculopathy, myelopathy, Guillain-Barr syndrome-like presentation and more.

Even with intensive care unit support, approximately 50 per cent of cases of leptospirosis still result in death due to its severe form, which can cause several problems.

Dengue

A family of viruses responsible for causing dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes. The black-and-white-striped Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which usually bites in the early morning or early afternoon, is the vector of this disease. Other names for dengue include 'break bone fever'.

Dengue fever is characterized by excruciating joint and muscle pain, fever, rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and headache. In addition to the typical symptoms of dengue fever, there have been several documented neurological side effects associated with dengue infection, such as myelitis, encephalitis, Guillain-Barr syndrome (GBS), and myositis.

Malaria

Certain mosquito species grow in contaminated, stagnant or dirty water, which leads to the spread of malaria, one of the most frequent illnesses associated with the monsoon season. Mosquitoes have ideal breeding circumstances during the rainy season because of the issue of water logging. Female Anopheles mosquitoes are the carriers of this illness. P. falciparum, also known as cerebral malaria, is the most severe form of malaria and is responsible for the majority of deaths. P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae are further types of malaria.

Antigen-based fast diagnostic tests or microscopic analysis of blood-on-blood films are commonly used to detect malaria. Fever, chills, bodily aches, and perspiration are some of its symptoms. It can cause jaundice, serious anaemia, and even kidney and liver failure if left untreated. Malaria can cause convulsions, psychosis, agitation, decreased consciousness, and coma, the last two of which are the characteristics of cerebral malaria.

Typhoid

Salmonella is the causative agent of 'typhoid', another bacterial infection spread through water. Contaminated food, water, or food that has come into contact with an infected person's feces are the main causes of this disease.

Extended elevated temperature, intense abdominal pain, and headaches are indicative of the illness; vomiting is a typical symptom. It usually takes until the second week of the disease for the nervous system manifestations to appear. Severe illness and other toxic manifestations, such as septicemia and septic shock, are frequently linked to CNS manifestations. If the feverish sickness has not been identified sooner, any central signs or symptoms increases the risk of meningitis.

Clean drinking water provision, improved hygiene, and improved handwashing are examples of preventive measures.

Japanese Encephalitis

While the risk for transmission of JE is throughout the year, however, the time of greatest risk for infection is during the rainy season due to increased mosquito vector populations.

An infection with the JE virus can cause a variety of febrile illnesses with neurological symptoms ranging from headache to meningitis or encephalitis. Classical symptoms include fever, headache, meningeal signs, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, paralysis (neralized), hypertonia, loss of coordination, and so on.