Erratic monsoon in Mumbai keep seasonal ailments in check

MUMBAI: Erratic monsoon may have given rise to water woes, but it has also spelt some good news on the disease front for the city. Some of the most worrisome seasonal ailments, including malaria and dengue, have shown 30%-65% dip compared with the first two months of monsoon last year.
Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection, may have claimed the life of a Wadala resident on Tuesday, but such cases have significantly diminished. For instance, there has been a staggering 90% fall in leptospirosis cases between June last year and this year, which, however, could directly be linked to the scanty rainfall. In July, till date, four leptospirosis cases have been reported as opposed to the 24 cases last July. Only fever cases have recorded a 25% increase in June this year, again to show a 37% fall in July.
Dengue, which claimed about 12 lives and affected more than 1,000 patients, has taken a beating this year. While there has been a 15% decrease in cases compared with June last year, the dip becomes more apparent in July, where 23 cases have been reported as opposed to last July’s 66. July has 10 more days left, but physicians say dengue cases may not pick up till the end of August.
Corroborating the civic data, city physicians said vector-borne diseases have been under control this monsoon. “It is reflecting in our practice,” said physician Dr Pratit Samdani, who consults with several south Mumbai hospitals.
According to the BMC figures, there has been a near 50% dip in malaria this year compared with June and July 2013. “There is a visible difference in the number of cases as well as in severity as not many patients needed intensive management,” said Dr Samdani.
“Credit has to be given to the civic body for keeping malaria and dengue under control. The fact that hospitals, like Jaslok and Bhatia, are not filled to capacity show that monsoon ailments are better this year,” said physician Dr Hemant Thacker.
He added that sporadic rains have had a significant role to play. “Rains have not been torrential to cause waterlogging, which is mostly responsible for contamination of food and drinking water source.” But Dr Thacker warned that it may be too early to write off dengue. “The menace usually starts around end of August or early September,” he said.
Water-borne ailments, such as gastroenteritis, hepatitis and typhoid, have been keeping the BMC on its toes. “We have recorded over 2,000 gastroenteritis cases in the last two months. Even hepatitis and typhoid cases were slightly more in June. The situation is under control now, but people have to stay cautious,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, BMC epidemiologist. Cholera has shown a drastic fall from 44 cases last July to two cases in July this year.