As Delhi is witnessing ill effects of monsoon for the past few days, thousands of people in Delhi may already be suffering from severe high grade fever, doctors said.
According to senior doctors in the city, they have come across cases where entire families are suffering from viral infection with complaints of rashes, joint pain, and high fever.
Dr SP Byotra, chairman of Internal Medicine at Sir Gangaram Hospital, said, “The way viral infection has spread in the city, we can say that tens of thousands of people in the national Capital must be suffering from high fever. I have treated many families, where entire family members are affected with acute viral fever including their house servants. In the coming weeks, the numbers can reach up to lakhs.”
Dr Vikas Maurya, HOD respiratory medicine at BlK Hospital said that at present, more cases of viral — pneumonia with serious lung disorder — are seen in patients suffering from high fever. Previously, only one or two such cases were seen.
Dr Damanjit Chaddha, Director Internal medicine at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, said, “Cases of viral fever is even more than it is being reported... Even in the past few days, I have seen 30-40 cases of chikungyuna along with some dengue patients.”
later in a day, Delhi Health minister Satyendra Jain applead to the people not to panic. As vector disease is highly preventable, Jain as asked Delhiites to follow mosquito breeding preventive measures.
The high numbers of the viral patients in Delhi could be high as people from outside Delhi comes for the treatment higher, said Dr SK Sharma, HOD internal medicine at AIIMS. "Patients in high grade viral fever are complaining of rashes, itching. lack of mosquito breeding preventive measures and huge rainfall is the cause this time."
The rains can 'upsurge' the cases of vector borne disease in the coming weeks. The changes in climatic condition, damp weather, poor drainage system, stagnant water at construction sites are few vulnerable causes for the mosquito breeding." There is nothing to panic as chikungunya is not a life threatening disease like dengue, added Dr Sharma.
This year at least 285 dengue cases in Delhi and 202 cases in the neighboring states have been reported so far. Till now, dengue has claimed two lives in the city, said SDMC corporation.
The health department also capped the charges for dengue tests at all private labs and also banned the sale of platelet restricting drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen and Diclofenac during the dengue season, said the official.
Students of government/private schools and colleges will be roped in to spread awareness about steps for prevention of Dengue, said the official.
Previously, Chikungunya outbreak was reported in 2006 in Delhi. last year, Delhi witnessed worst dengue outbreak in the past 20 years with 15000 dengue cases claimed more than 60 lives.
