Rains spike flu, viral ailments

Mumbai: The city has seen a rise in influenza cases and several viral ailments due to temperature fluctuations brought on by intermittent rainfall. According to a doctor, civic-run hospitals have seen a 42 per cent rise in breathing-related illnesses and 60 per cent rise in stomach ailments. Doctors also said they have been seeing a steady stream of patients complaining of fever, cough, sore throat and body ache, and cases of diarrhoea and cough that last more than three weeks are common.

Over the past week, civic hospitals have reported more than 1,000 cases of fever, and the number is bound to increase if temperatures fall. Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said,  “People are falling ill due to climatic changes. The best way to deal with this is to see a doctor as soon as symptoms are noticed. Self-medication should be completely avoided. Patients with high fever and dehydration need hospitalisation.”

A senior doctor from KEM Hospital said, “We are seeing many patients with viral fever, a good number have influenza infections including H1N1 and dengue. These patients have high fever, cough and upper respiratory tract infections. We are seeing at least eight patients every day.”

“One must avoid junk food and eating outside and drink boiled water,” the doctor added.

More than 7,581 cases of fever have been reported across the state, and of these, 1,520 patients have tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

Diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain have also been noted along with the classic flu symptoms of cold, fever and throat irritation in several cases this season. And many cases have been observed at civic, state and privately-run hospitals of a combination of flu-like and gastro symptoms.