Incessant rains causing floods and waterlogging in South Asia have exacerbated an outbreak of dengue, making it difficult for authorities and health experts to control the spread of the disease.
With new cases being reported every day across India, the country has recorded over 40,000 cases and 12 deaths in total, according to the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC).
Likewise, Pakistan has hospitalized 30,267 people, while Bangladesh has recorded more than 17,000 cases this year.
Sputnik spoke to Dr. S. Chatterjee, an internal medicine physician in Delhi’s Apollo Hospital, about the reason for the rising number of dengue cases. We also asked him about speculation that the situation might worsen due to rains forecast in several states with the onset of Autumn, creating favorable conditions for mosquitoes to breed.
“Dengue cases in the national capital of Delhi and across the neighboring countries are rising by the day. This is also the season for dengue as water stagnates and there is water logging and the dengue mosquito love to breed in this type of stagnant water,” Dr. Chatterjee told Sputnik.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
While India has seen a low mortality rate of 12 deaths due to mild dengue fever and flu-like illness, it has been more severe in Pakistan and Bangladesh, where the disease has led to the death of over 70 and 61 people, respectively.
“People are mostly manifesting high-grade fever, body ache, headache and as days go by, they are having low platelet count, itching, rashes, and deranged liver function test,” Dr. Chatterjee says.
To diagnose dengue at an early stage, doctors suggest that one should not panic but take a systematic approach to get themselves tested.
“The test to diagnose dengue should include an antigen test which is called the NS 1 antigen test in the first three to five days. After five days, we should do the IGM dengue antibody test because that’s the time the antibody surface in the blood. The IGG antibodies actually represent old infection. So, to diagnose recent infection, it is NS1 antigen test for dengue in the first five days and then comes the IGM,” he explained.
Other tests which doctors suggest are a complete blood test to check the platelet count, a hematocrit test to check the count of red blood cells in the blood, liver and kidney function tests to evaluate harm to other body organs, and regularly monitoring blood pressure to prevent infections.
According to the Indian dengue guideline, platelet blood transfusions are required if a person's count is less than 10,000.
Treatment & Prevention
In India, the hospitalization rate due to dengue fever has been low and has recorded a fast recovery rate compared to Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“Most of the patients in India actually recover [from] what we call a 10-day disease. First three to five days, they would have a high-grade fever, body ache, headache, and vomiting. The next couple of days, the patient starts feeling well but that’s the time when the platelets go down, they might have bleeding tendencies, the blood pressure might drop which is a crucial time,” Dr. Chatterjee said.
To prevent the mortality rate due to dengue fever, the need of the hour is that the government and individuals must act in tandem.
“We all know that if there is waterlogging or stagnating water, it will breed dengue mosquitos. So it is important that individuals don’t let water stagnate around their house and also the government agencies must also do anti-mosquito spraying and they also see that waterlogging is not happening,” Dr. Chatterjee informed.
From wearing long-sleeved clothes to using mosquito repellents or mosquito nets, all these measures can prevent people from getting a mosquito bite.