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Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Mumbai sees sharp surge in malaria, dengue, chikungunya cases in first 15 days of July, finds BMC data
Mumbai: The city is experiencing a sharp surge in mosquito-borne illnesses, with malaria cases in particular doubling compared to last year, according to BMC health data. The city recorded 884 malaria cases in June and an additional 633 in just the first 15 days of July. This amounts to a total of 1,517 cases in six weeks and 3,490 cases since Jan. BMC officials attributed the rise to intermittent rainfall, which has created favourable conditions for mosquito breeding. "This intermittent pattern of rainfall is a major driver of mosquito breeding and the rise in diseases," said a civic health official. Doctors said the figures reflect what they are seeing in hospitals daily. "In a week, we are seeing 50-60 patients with malaria, of whom a few require hospitalisation," said Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician at Bombay Hospital. "Patients with comorbidities are at higher risk of complications and can become critical," he added. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai While the BMC has not confirmed any malaria- or dengue-related death so far, a doctor at Holy Family Hospital said the facility recorded two fatalities in the past three days — a 34-year-old woman and a five-year-old. "This is due to virulent serotypes of dengue that can lead to hemorrhagic shock," the doctor said, adding that malaria cases are far outnumbering other infections. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gentle Japanese hair growth method for men and women's scalp Hair's Rich Learn More Undo There were 282 dengue cases in the first 15 days of July alone, compared to 105 in June. Physicians at Aapla Davakhana in G South ward, which includes areas like Worli, and G North ward, which includes parts of Dharavi, both of which report higher numbers of vector-borne diseases, said 10-15 people are tested daily at some units for malaria and dengue due to symptoms like high fever and chills. BMC's disease surveillance data also shows a rise in chikungunya. There were 43 cases in the first half of July, up from just 21 in June. Notably, chikungunya is often treated symptomatically, and most patients are not tested, as the diagnostic tests are expensive.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Docs see rise in dengue & malaria cases as rains arrive early; BMC says no spike
Mumbai: The early onset of rains means the city is battling monsoon illnesses a month earlier than usual, with doctors reporting a noticeable rise in cases of dengue, malaria, typhoid and gastroenteritis. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "In the last 15 days, I admitted more than a dozen dengue patients, including two needing ICU care," said senior medical consultant Dr Gautam Bhansali from Bombay Hospital. A 70-year-old patient from Dahisar was brought a fortnight ago to the hospital's casualty with high fever and a platelet count of 18,000, compared to the normal range of 1.5 lakh to 4 lakh per microlitre of blood. "She was in shock, a complication of dengue fever, and we feared the dropping platelet count would lead to internal bleeding. Moreover, she had diabetes and hypertension," said Dr Bhansali. A 23-year-old male from Worli was the other ICU patient with a low platelet count of 22,000. Both have since recovered and were discharged from hospital. An uptick in dengue cases is usually noticeable in the last week of June, as patients with very high fever for multiple days and body aches, among other symptoms, seek medical attention. For instance, Mumbai registered 93 dengue cases in June 2024, 535 in July 2024, and 1,013 in Aug 2024. The city witnessed over 5,000 cases throughout 2024, according to BMC statistics. "Dengue cases have started rising early this year because of heavy rain for a few days last week," said Dr Pratit Samdani from Breach Candy Hospital. Cases of malaria and chikungunya are also trickling in. "But there is no full-blown outbreak of these diseases so far," said Dr Samdani. Dr Manjula Agarwal, an internal medicine specialist from Gleneagles Hospital, said apart from dengue and malaria, she is treating patients with typhoid and gastroenteritis, typically seen during the summer month of May when people consume contaminated juices or water. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Dr Samdani said he treated multiple cases of liver abscess—a complication of consuming contaminated water or food. "These abscesses are caused by amoebic infection and need to be drained," he added. B MC's executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah said the civic public health machinery hasn't noticed any spike in monsoon-related ailments so far. "Dengue is endemic to the city, and cases occur throughout the year." Public health officials insist that dengue incidence seems to have multiplied in the last couple of years due to an increase in the number of sentinel survey centres. Around 1,000 cases of dengue were reported in Mumbai in 2022, but the numbers have increased four to five times since. Health activists, however, blame poor infrastructure in urban areas that leads to breeding of mosquitoes—malaria-causing Anopheles mosquitoes in dirty water and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in clean water that accumulates on rooftops, flowerpots or discarded tyres.
