The city of Mumbai has witnessed a notable increase in mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, over the past two weeks, according to data from the civic health department.
Dr. Daksha Shah, Executive Health Officer at the BMC, mentioned, “Compared to August 2023, the number of malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and H1N1 cases in Mumbai has seen a slight rise this August”.
Specifically, there were 1,013 recorded cases of dengue in August this year, compared to 999 in the same month last year. Malaria cases also saw an uptick, with 1,171 cases this August compared to 1,080 in August 2023. The second half of the month recorded a higher number of malaria cases, with 616 cases compared to 555 in the first half.
As for H1N1, while the official count for August stands at 170 cases, some private doctors believe the actual number might be higher since only a few patients undergo the expensive H1N1 test.
Dr. Gautam Bhansali, a senior consultant, pointed out that this year’s dengue cases are particularly concerning because many patients require hospitalization due to drastically low platelet counts—a hallmark of dengue viral fever. “We’ve seen patients with platelet counts as low as 9,000, whereas the normal range is between 1.5 lakh to 4.5 lakh,” Dr. Bhansali noted, adding that patients with platelet counts below 20,000 may require a transfusion.
Dr. Mala Kaneria from Nair Hospital highlighted that it is not uncommon to see a spike in dengue cases during August-September. “We do encounter patients with very low platelet counts, but they can usually be nursed back to health,” she said. It’s worth noting that the death rate from dengue has decreased significantly in recent years, from a national rate of 3.3% in 1996 to 0.17% in 2023.
As reported by msn.com, in addition to dengue and malaria, chikungunya cases have surged dramatically in the city, with 164 cases recorded this August, compared to just 35 in August 2023. Dr. Shah emphasized the importance of preventing the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit both dengue and chikungunya.