Health experts urge govt to mandate dengue reporting
As dengue is a seasonal, epidemic disease, complications often require tertiary centre monitoring. From prevention to updating protocol-based treatment, a new approach is urgently needed for this tropical disease. Dr Madap Karuna, a consultant at EMRI Green Health Services, said that since dengue is a tropical disease, the cases may not be the same in Western countries, and therefore they may not have case studies of severe cases. 'There is a WHO protocol where we get to know not much about severe dengue management. The protocols have not been updated for severe cases,' said Dr Karuna. 'The policymakers also should know that the medical field is evolving; there are new diseases. During COVID, everybody was doing research and they gave a lot of options. Now, dengue is also changing patterns, as there are severe complications. Multi-centric studies should be encouraged by policymakers. We should give our data to WHO so that every doctor should know how to tackle it.'
The issue doctors face with dengue cases is that patients are often brought to the hospital in a bad state. Doctors said that in this scenario, if there is already a publication or knowledge-sharing of experiences, the feedback can be helpful for patient treatment. The private sector has been making some effort through conferences at a nominal price, but there is no such mechanism from the rural centres, doctors noted. Doctors point out a rise in the number of dengue cases until September-October and therefore want the government to initiate awareness campaigns.
Dr Karuna said that dengue has existed for two decades and people should know when to refer a patient, what type of treatment can be provided, etc. Similarly, the cost of treatments is also pushing patients into poverty. 'Once a child is in hospital, it is very difficult to manage,' said Dr Karuna.
Senior cardiologist and faculty at the International Training Center at Gandhi Medical College, Dr Vijay Rao, said that while protocols and guidelines do exist in every field of medicine, sometimes it is practical common sense that helps in clinical medicine, especially in developing countries where resources are scarce.
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The contagion scale: From measles to TB which disease spread fastest?
When the Covid pandemic hit, many people turned to the eerily prescient film Contagion (2011) for answers – or at least for catharsis. Suddenly, its hypothetical plot felt all too real. Applauded for its scientific accuracy, the film offered more than suspense – it offered lessons. One scene in particular stands out. Kate Winslet's character delivers a concise lesson on the infectious power of various pathogens – explaining how they can be spread from our hands to the many objects we encounter each day – 'door knobs, water fountains, elevator buttons and each other'. These everyday objects, known as fomites, can become silent vehicles for infection. She also considered how each infection is given a value called R0 (or R-nought) based on how many other people are likely to become infected from another. So, for an R0 of two, each infected patient will spread the disease to two others. Who will collectively then give it to four more. And so a breakout unfolds. 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It's so infectious that an unvaccinated person can catch the virus just by entering a room where an infected person was present two hours earlier. People can also be infectious and spread the virus before they develop symptoms or have any reason to isolate. Other infectious diseases with high R0 values include pertussis, or whooping cough (12 to 17), chickenpox (ten to 12), and Covid, which varies by subtype but generally falls between eight and 12. While many patients recover fully from these conditions, they can still lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, seizures, meningitis, blindness, and, in some cases, death. Low spread, high stakes At the other end of the spectrum, a lower infectivity rate doesn't mean a disease is any less dangerous. Take tuberculosis (TB), for example, which has an R0 ranging from less than one up to four. This range varies depending on local factors like living conditions and the quality of available healthcare. 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Contagion scale: which diseases spread fastest?
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And so a breakout unfolds. The R0 measure indicates how an infection will spread in a population. If it's greater than one (as seen above), the outcome is disease spread. An R0 of one means the level of people being infected will remain stable, and if it's less than one, the disease will often die out with time. Circulating infections spread through a variety of routes and differ widely in how contagious they are. Some are transmitted via droplets or aerosols – such as those released through coughing or sneezing – while others spread through blood, insects (like ticks and mosquitoes), or contaminated food and water. But if we step back to think about how we can protect ourselves from developing an infectious disease, one important lesson is in understanding how they spread. And as we'll see, it's also a lesson in protecting others, not just ourselves. Here is a rundown of some of the most and least infectious diseases on the planet. In first place for most contagious is measles. Measles has made a resurgence globally in recent years, including in high-income countries like the UK and US. While several factors contribute to this trend, the primary cause is a decline in childhood vaccination rates. This drop has been driven by disruptions such as the COVID pandemic and global conflict, as well as the spread of misinformation about vaccine safety. The R0 number for measles is between 12 and 18. If you do the maths, two cycles of transmission from that first infected person could lead to 342 people catching the illness. That's a staggering number from just one patient – but luckily, the protective power of vaccination helps reduce the actual spread by lowering the number of people susceptible to infection. Measles is extraordinarily virulent, spreading through tiny airborne particles released during coughing or sneezing. It doesn't even require direct contact. It's so infectious that an unvaccinated person can catch the virus just by entering a room where an infected person was present two hours earlier. People can also be infectious and spread the virus before they develop symptoms or have any reason to isolate. Other infectious diseases with high R0 values include pertussis, or whooping cough (12 to 17), chickenpox (ten to 12), and COVID, which varies by subtype but generally falls between eight and 12. While many patients recover fully from these conditions, they can still lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, seizures, meningitis, blindness, and, in some cases, death. Low spread, high stakes At the other end of the spectrum, a lower infectivity rate doesn't mean a disease is any less dangerous. Take tuberculosis (TB), for example, which has an R0 ranging from less than one up to four. This range varies depending on local factors like living conditions and the quality of available healthcare. Caused by the bacterium] Mycobacterium tuberculosis, TB is also airborne but spreads more slowly, usually requiring prolonged close contact with someone with the active disease. Outbreaks tend to occur among people who share living spaces – such as families, households, and in shelters or prisons. The real danger with TB lies in how difficult it is to treat. Once established, it requires a combination of four antibiotics taken over a minimum of six months. Standard antibiotics like penicillin are ineffective, and the infection can spread beyond the lungs to other parts of the body, including the brain, bones, liver and joints. What's more, cases of drug-resistant TB are on the rise, where the bacteria no longer respond to one or more of the antibiotics used in treatment. Other diseases with lower infectivity include Ebola – which is highly fatal but spreads through close physical contact with bodily fluids. Its R0 ranges from 1.5 to 2.5. 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(The Conversation) NSA NSA (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 03, 2025, 09:45 IST News agency-feeds Contagion scale: which diseases spread fastest? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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