Doctors across the city are of the opinion that dengue will recede by next week. Dr Pratit Samdani, who consults with Breach Candy Hospital and Bhatia Hospital, said that while the outbreak was severe over the past three months, it has started weaning away over the last two days.
Dengue claimed its seventh victim in the city when a 23-year-old doctor from the civic-run KEM hospital fell prey to the ailment.
Mayor's appeal to citizens
On Wednesday, mayor Snehal Ambekar called for a special meeting at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and appealed to the citizens to report any case of fever to the doctor without causing any delay. She also pressed for more public awareness regarding the disease.
47-year-old Chowpatty resident Aditya Mehta (name changed) is admitted to Tardeo's Bhatia Hospital with dengue. "His platelet counts suddenly dropped to 10,000. Average platelet count of a human is between 1.5 to 2 lakhs. Another 40-year-old Khetwadi resident who is admitted in hospital showed a drop of platelets of up to 13,000," observed Dr Samdani.
Dengue pattern has changed
While some years ago, typical dengue fever used to occur in two phases, the pattern of occurrence in patients has changed, say doctors. "It lasts for a week at one go now, as also the virus has been severely affecting the heart or the liver. Earlier, there was no multi-organ involvement in the occurrence of fever," said Dr Om Srivastava, infectious diseases consultant at Jaslok Hospital in Peddar Road. "Also many patients with dengue are slipping into complications where there is pleural effusion or water accumulation in the lungs."
Cases to go down with temperature
Doctors say that as temperatures start to cool after November, the dengue cases will decrease.
BMC has reported 754 cases of dengue in Mumbai since the start of monsoon this year. Of these, seven persons have died. If data from private hospitals were to be included, the number of cases could shoot up by five to ten times. In October itself, 174 cases of dengue were reported in BMC hospitals.
Dengue facts
Aedes Aegypti mosquito which carries dengue virus is a day biter and rests in the dark corners of the houses, on hanging objects like clothes, umbrella, etc. or under the furniture.
Mosquitoes lay eggs in desert coolers, drums, jars, pots, buckets, flower vases, plant saucers, tanks, cisterns, bottles, tins, tyres, roof gutters, refrigerator drip pans, cement blocks, cemetery urns, bamboo stumps, coconut shells, tree holes and many more places where rainwater collects or is stored.
Protection from dengue
Remove water from coolers and other small containers at least once a week
Use aerosol during day time to prevent the bites of mosquitoes
Do not wear clothes that expose arms and legs
Use mosquito nets or mosquito repellents while sleeping during day time
Do not let water stagnate in petri dishes of flower pots or that of feng shui plants at home. Empty water everyday from buckets and other places
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