NEW DELHI: The incessant rainfall over the weekend has led to a spurt in typhoid and upper respiratory infection cases among people, with experts identifying the elderly and the teenagers as the most vulnerable age groups.
Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982. The national capital recorded 107 mm of precipitation till 8.30 am on Monday According to Dr Rajeev Gupta, an expert in internal medicine and a director at C K Birla Hospital, there has been a sharp increase in patients troubled by typhoid and jaundice alongside upper respiratory infections.
According to him, the number of patients has tripled with mostly children and the elderly being affected. “Overflowing sewage is one of the biggest areas of concern. The government needs to focus on this issue as water is getting more contaminated during the rain,” he stressed.
Concurring with Gupta over the age group of patients, Dr Anukalp Prakash, Lead Consultant, Gastroenterology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram stressed that drinking water is a major source of infections of the intestine and is the only cause of Hepatitis A and E.
“The age group which is more prone to such seasonal diseases are children below 15 to 16 years and others are senior citizens and elderly patients above 55 to 60 years as the immunity of these is little low as compared to other age groups. Also, people who are diabetic, have high BP, and cardiac diseases are prone to such diseases,” he said. Doctors predicted that the spurt could last the next two to three weeks.