Vector-borne diseases claimed eight lives in August

Mumbai: Eight Mumbaikars succumbed to monsoon-related waterborne (vector borne) diseases in the month of August.

According to the data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s public health department, two citizens, including a three-year-old child, died of malaria; three citizens succumbed to dengue; and three citizens, including a seven-year-old died, due to Leptospirosis.

A civic official stated among the dengue victims was a 20-year-old man, whose platelet levels fell drastically, leading to thrombocytopenia — abn-ormally low levels of platelets in the blood and tests revealed he had ‘mixed infection’ and had contracted malaria as well, leading to his death on August 18. All three are from M/East ward — Govandi area. A 35-year-old man and a woman aged 52 died of dengue shock syndrome and multiple organ failure respectively.

The two Leptospirosis victims include a seven-year-old boy, who died of pulmonary hemorrhage and man (35) who suffered multiple organ failure. The malaria victim is a three-year-old girl.

Dr Padmaja Keskar, BMC’s health executive officer said, “In case of dengue death, the survey  was done at 1,169 houses in the ward and screened seven cases of fever and also an awareness was undertaken in the surveyed area.” Dr Keskar said, “In 568 houses, 230 containers were inspected of which four mosquito bree-ding spots were detected and destroyed immediately. Fogging was conducted in around 1,054 houses.”