Bengaluru bitten: Rain brings back dengue

June hasn’t quite arrived, but hospitals across the city are already witnessing a significant number of dengue fever cases. It isn’t time to hit the panic button just yet, but with numbers rising across the city, doctors advise caution and prevention. The State health department reports 44 positive of 123 suspected dengue cases in the IT city and has begun fogging operations in full swing all over Bengaluru.

Come rain and the city wakes up to dengue fever. While  the recent downpour brought some much needed respite to a sweltering Bengaluru, it also appears to have given wings to the dengue mosquito, which is attacking among others, the most vulnerable of the city's population: children. The government-run Vanivilas hospital is currently treating some five children suspected to have dengue fever. “We are seeing many cases of suspected dengue  now and  the numbers could surge if  precautions are not taken on time,” warns Dr Premalatha of Vanivilas hospital.

“We have admitted some 15 children with suspected dengue at the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences.  We  have started their treatment  and sent their blood samples to be tested for dengue,” reveals Dr Shrinivasa, HoD of the paediatric unit at KIMS. The hospital has been seeing around 10 cases of suspected dengue every day  in recent weeks and has admitted only the more serious of the patients. “Once the rain starts in June we could see a lot more cases,” he added.

Read: Guest column - Control the breeding of Aedes Aegypti mosquito

“At St. Philomena's we have admitted a couple of suspect cases,” says Dr Shankar Prasad, the hospital 's Medical Director.  But the figures for the city are conflicting. While the state health department says of the 123 suspected cases, 44  have been confirmed in the city since January, the BBMP says only 22 cases of dengue and 12 cases of chikungunya have been reported within its limits so far.  "There is no concentration area as the cases are scattered across the city. We are doing the usual fogging and surveillance all over Bengaluru," says Dr Naveen, BBMP project coordinator for the National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme.

Dengue Virus

Dr Kala Yadhav ML, professor. Microbiology, at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) explains there are four sero types of the dengue virus,  1, 2, 3 and 4. Disturbingly, of them sero type 2 and 4 are the most common. “They are quite similar to the strains  found in Delhi right now because ecologically, the city is in    the same zone," she said, adding, "Sero type two has high virulence, manifesting in haemorrhagic fever and patients could even go into shock. We must ensure  there is zero water stagnation in their surroundings.”

Dengue: How aware are you?
In 2015, Nielsen conducted a month long survey for Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. across 16 Indian cities, with a sample size of 1,500 to assess perceptions of dengue, its causes and how people cope with the disease.

Key findings

• Awareness that dengue can be life-threatening : Bangalore saw an agree rate of 63%
• Awareness that children are most vulnerable to dengue : Bangalore saw an agree rate of 88% only
• Awareness that the schools their children attended used repellents : 52% parents in Bangalore said the schools did not use them
• 81% parents in Bangalore are worried that their children are more prone to dengue in school
• 76% of Bangalore parents agreed that the child’s school should take the responsibility of educating children about the risks of dengue
• Overall 18% of the respondents were unaware that dengue is not curable
• 56 percent in the south Zone felt that they were most vulnerable to mosquito bite while sleeping
• 83 percent in the soth Zone felt that dengue mosquitoes entered their homes at night
• Overall 67% of the respondents said liquid vaporisers were the favourite repellent choice against aerosols, coils, creams and mats.
• Overall 86% of the respondents said they used repellents at night

Symptoms to watch out for

• A very high temperature (usually more than 101 degrees) without any other infection like throat or urinary tract infection
• Severe body pain
• Lower back pain
• Pain in calf muscles and thighs
• General weakness
• Red rashes on the body and redness around the eyes
• Signs of bleeding while spitting, coughing, urinating or passing stools

Preventive measures

• Use mosquito repellents indoors and outdoors
• Avoid standing close to a logged water body and ensure that such water bodies don’t remain logged for too long

Take note!
Dengue mosquitoes are different from the malaria mosquitoes! There is neither specific medication neither vaccine for dengue. The only way to control the disease is to control the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which spreads the disease. Dengue mosquitoes are very active during the day and therefore it becomes imperative to safeguard oneself at this time. Children are the most vulnerable at this time, as they are at school or in the playground and away from home.

No need to panic, just be cautious
Dengue is most commonly reported  from June to October when the viral load is high and gradually the rate of transmission falls, but in Bengaluru there is no season as such for the disease, which is reported all through the year here owing to environmental reasons, rising construction activity  and other factors. Advising caution against the disease at all times therefore, Dr Veeranna Gowda , HoD of the Medicine Department at Victoria Hospital says people cannot always look to the government for solutions and must take care themselves. “Universal precautions for prevention should be taken like preventing fresh water collection, use of mosquito nets and keeping your surroundings clean," he underlines.

“Both the public and the BBMP need to take measures to make mosquito control effective. While people should not allow water to stagnate in their immediate surroundings, the BBMP must ensure that the drains are clear to allow free flow of water and there is no garbage mess in the city," stresses Dr Shankar Prasad, Medical Director of St Philomena's.

However, advising against panic, Dr Shankar V, MD (Internal Medicine) of Manipal  Hospital, Malleswaram, notes that as long as a patient’s platelet count is maintained, there cannot be major complications from the disease. “Dengue is a problem mainly for high-risk groups and people who  have other health conditions,” he explains.