Mumbai doctors warn of surge in leptospirosis cases after 2 days of heavy rainfall

Time of India

5 hours ago

Mumbai: As heavy rainfall brought the city to a standstill for two consecutive days, doctors are warning of a potential rise in leptospirosis cases. The infection spreads through water contaminated with animal urine in waterlogged areas.
It can enter the body through small cuts or abrasions as people wade through flooded streets often to reach their workplaces or homes.
The city, which reports a high burden of leptospirosis every monsoon, recorded 143 cases in July. In August alone, BMC data shows that 72 cases have already been reported. When left untreated, the infection can spiral out of control quickly. Among those diagnosed this month was the 21-year-old daughter of Prakash Gaonkar, a taxi driver from Reay Road.
She was hospitalised for a week after developing acute respiratory distress syndrome due to leptospirosis.
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She suffered kidney injury and severe breathlessness as a result of her condition. The family spent about Rs 2.5 lakh at a private hospital to save her life. "She had some cuts on her feet through which she was infected. I appeal to everyone not to ignore even a mild fever after heavy rains," said Gaonkar.
Year after year, though, doctors continue to witness such cases.
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Dr Anuj Tiwari, a physician at Cooper Hospital, said the problem with most monsoon illnesses is that their symptoms overlap. "Patients mistake their condition for something mild and delay treatment until it becomes worse. We have seen very severe cases, even fatalities because of lepto," he said.
Dr Anita Mathews, an infectious disease specialist at Fortis Hospital in Mulund, said while most leptospirosis patients show mild symptoms, the 1% to 2% who develop severe disease can still turn out to be a large number when infections are widespread.
She added that even without cuts, prolonged exposure to contaminated water can be enough for transmission, as skin becomes vulnerable when it softens and shrivels.
There are ways to prevent it soon after exposure. Community health workers under the BMC distribute post-exposure prophylaxis, doxycycline, in waterlogged areas as soon as the storm passes. A community health volunteer in Bandra told TOI this could not be done as widespread due to continuous heavy rains and waterlogging on Tuesday but will be taken up the next day.
Dr Preeti Chhabria, director of the department of medicine at H N Reliance Hospital, added the benefits of doxycycline far outweigh risks such as antibiotic resistance. "Prolonged and frequent consumption can be a problem but in such instances, it is much needed," she said.
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