Written By: Upneet Pansare | Updated : November 1, 2018 3:07 PM IST
Image credits by: Dengue is becoming an increasingly serious problem in Mumbai © Shutterstock
Dengue fever claimed 14 lives in Mumbai making it the top killer among other monsoon diseases in the city, says a health report by the BMC. Dengue was followed by leptospirosis, which claimed 12 lives in this monsoon season. The report also states that monsoon diseases claimed 29 lives. Dengue, along with malaria, gastroenteritis, viral diseases were responsible for about 10,000 hospitalisations in the city. According to news reports, dengue has claimed two lives (7-year-old from Dharavi and a 24-year-old from Kandivali) in the last fortnight of October. Presently there are 250 confirmed cases of dengue. The reports said that the child was treated for fever, body ache and abdominal pain, following which he was admitted to a public hospital and later, he died of dengue haemorrhagic shock and multi-organ dysfunction, three days after hospitalisation. The Kandivali resident was admitted to a public hospital in a serious condition and died within 24 hours because of complications in his lungs and kidneys. H1N1 viral infection, has also been reported in Mumbai with 16 positive cases. The BMC said that only one case was reported in September. H1N1 has claimed 268 lives and affected around 2,300 in Maharashtra since January. A majority of the cases and deaths are from Pune, Nagpur, Satara, Ahmednagar besides others districts.
According to an official quoted in DNA, in Dharavi area, a total of 510 houses and 2,140 citizens were screened. In R-South ward, 750 houses and 2,250 citizens were screened. Awareness campaigns about dos and don'ts and pest control activity is being carried out across different wards, said the official. Dengue is caused by four different types of virus and is usually transmitted by mosquitoes. Some of the common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains and skin rash. The only way to reduce infections is to improve hygiene levels so as to prevent mosquito bites and prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
Disclaimer: The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.
