A 46-year-old businessman from Marine Drive developed fever on August 16 and assumed it was the flu, similar to what his siblings were experiencing. However, within 36 hours, he began convulsing and lost consciousness. His family rushed him to Breach Candy Hospital, where convulsions persisted for another 24 hours, and he remained semi-conscious for 48 hours.
Rare Complication of Dengue
Doctors diagnosed him with dengue encephalitis, a rare but serious complication in which the dengue virus invades the nervous system. According to Dr. Pratit Samdani, who treated the patient, this neurological manifestation highlights the unpredictable ways dengue can affect the body.
Dengue Cases Rising in Mumbai
Mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, currently trouble Mumbaikars during the monsoon. In 2023, Maharashtra reported around 20,000 dengue cases. So far in 2024, authorities have recorded 55 deaths and 40 severe cases. In Mumbai alone, officials logged 708 dengue cases in July and another 404 between August 1 and 15. A small fraction of these patients develop rare complications such as brain inflammation.
Neurological Manifestations in Dengue
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Vasant Nagvekar explained that both dengue and chikungunya viruses can cause encephalitis in rare cases. Last month, he treated a patient who was admitted with dengue and later required hospitalisation for chikungunya.
“While neurological symptoms due to dengue are rare, the virus is known to manifest in different ways,” said a doctor from a public hospital. Dr. Samdani also noted that dengue can lead to severe lung infections, as well as liver or kidney failure.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Dr. Samdani stressed that when a patient presents with fever and convulsions, doctors should perform a lumbar puncture at the earliest to test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In this case, both CSF and blood tests confirmed high levels of NS1 protein, which is produced by the dengue virus.
Since no specific treatment exists for dengue, doctors provided symptomatic care, including anti-convulsant medication and hydration.
Patient’s Recovery and Key Warning Signs
As reported by TOI, the patient spent six days in the ICU but has now recovered without any neurological deficits from the inflammation or convulsions. Dr. Samdani emphasised the need to monitor not only platelet counts but also haemoglobin levels. “Rising haemoglobin levels could signal a poor prognosis,” he warned.