BENGALURU: Chickenpox cases are rising in Bengaluru as the city is transitioning from winter to summer. Though children are more susceptible to the disease, this year more young adults are getting infected, doctors said.
Dr Rajath Athreya, head of department, paediatrics and neonatology, Sakra World Hospital, said chickenpox cases usually rise during summer and since the weather is changing, patients with chickenpox are increasing. Over the last few weeks, every day one or two cases are coming to their hospital. This year, he is surprised to see more cases among young adults (20-30 years). This could be due to improved vaccine coverage among children, minimising infections and severity of the disease among them, he said.
Doctors have warned pregnant women to be more careful and take necessary precautions to avoid any complications during pregnancy. If women have infected people in their families, they should ensure social distance and avoid sharing the same linen and towels with the infected person.
Dr KS Harshith, Consultant, Internal medicines, (General Medicine), Aster RV Hospital, said, “We have seen 3-4 new cases in the hospital over the last 15 days. Patients are coming with symptoms of fever, loss of appetite, tiredness and irritations of the skin. They are put on antiviral drugs and told to isolate themselves for seven days. We have not observed many cases among children. Most of the infected are in the 18-25 age group.”