NEW DELHI: Dengue has claimed nine lives in the national capital so far this year, highest in the past three years. Experts say that those who suffer comorbidities or have compromised immunity pose a higher risk of falling prey to the vector-borne disease.
“People living nearby open drains and water systems are also more prone towards catching vector borne diseases,” said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant, internal medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.
Speaking about comorbidities, Dr Vineeta Tandon, consultant, internal medicine, PSRI Hospital noted that dengue may be more fatal for patients with cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus hypertension, immunosuppression and pregnancy. “With dengue comes many complications like dengue hemorrhagic fever, shock syndrome which may lead to death in patients. Kids and elderly face higher risk of fatality,” she said.
However, Dr Tandon is of the opinion that the most deadly vector-borne disease is malaria where the deaths can be caused due to liver failure with jaundice, renal failure, shock, hematological complications, pulmonary edema, and central nervous system involvement.
In children, vector-borne diseases can lead to anemia, weight loss, poor growth and developments as they have developing organs and are more prone towards the damage which can be caused by the serious manifestations of the disease.“These diseases can often cause recurring illnesses in child survivors and can affect their physical and neurological health,” said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee.