CHENNAI: With the onset of the northeast monsoon, doctors have warned of a spike in fever cases - especially dengue, leptospirosis and swine flu - in the coming weeks and advised parents to take preventive measures to protect children. They added that dengue cases have been on the rise in the last two weeks.
“We have been seeing children less than one year of age coming with respiratory illness. There are a lot of dengue cases as well. The hospital is getting at least 40 fever cases per day,” said Dr Janani Sankar, medical director of Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital. She added that October and November is the season for fever cases as dengue mosquitoes breed in stagnant rainwater.
Speaking to TNIE, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr TS Selvavinayagam said, “Cases are bound to rise till December, and up to 1% of the population may be affected at a point in time. Most of them are self-limiting.” He added that DPH is monitoring the severity of cases requiring admission across the state through health inspectors and state surveillance hospitals.
Dr P Paranthaman, head of general medicine, at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, said, “There is an increase in common viral fever cases and also dengue. Leptospirosis cases are also being reported. Every day 60 people with fever cases are visiting the out-patient unit in the hospital, of which at least 10 people are presenting with dengue symptoms, and two or three confirmed cases of dengue.”
“Most of them are getting alright and there are no serious cases. People should avoid going to crowded places as the flu is airborne and take precautions against mosquito bites,” he added. The doctors also advised people to boil water before drinking.
The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine on Saturday instructed all deputy directors of health services (DDHS) to ensure monsoon-related preventive and relief activities are carried out. Officials were told to monitor patients with fever, diarrheal, and influenza-like symptoms and check for jaundice, acute encephalitis syndrome, and vaccine-preventive diseases like measles, rubella, and diphtheria, among others.