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Mumbai doctors worry about dengue-malaria combo infection

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City doctors see a dangerous trend in vector-borne diseases in the city with people coming with both dengue and malaria infection. Though the number of such cases is not high, doctors say that it has now become important to check for both the diseases if there is fever to avoid complications and death. Talking about severity of dengue, doctors say that it is affecting major organs this time and therefore people shouldn't neglect fever.

People getting dengue, malaria together
Dr Khusrav Bajan, intensivist at PD Hinduja Hospital, said: "There is one per cent chances for a dengue patient to get malaria and vice-versa. This year, surprisingly, we are seeing people infected with both these diseases. The numbers are few but this is something we have not seen earlier."

How is one infected?
While dengue is caused and transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses, malaria is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium that is spread by the female Anopheles mosquito.
"I have already seen 4-5 cases with co-infection. Dengue's is a supportive treatment and for malaria, we give anti-malarial treatment. These patients are coming with much lower white blood cell count and platelet counts and longer fever durations," said Dr Bajan.

Many come with typhoid too
Many doctors are also seeing patients positive for malaria, dengue and typhoid. "I have seen a 20-year-old girl who had fever for last one week. She went to a local doctor and her malaria test report was positive. Her condition did not improve and she was admitted yesterday. We repeated the tests and found she is positive for typhoid, malaria and dengue. She is the fourth case in the last one month and we are surprised with such mixed infection," said Dr Roy Patankar, owner of Joy Hospital, Chembur.

Fever may eventually affect organs
According to doctors, all the three diseases have similar symptoms and therefore all tests need to be done to rule out complications. "Fever shouldn't be ignored. We are seeing patients with malaria, dengue and typhoid. A delay in treatment will only increase the complications as it then affects organs," said Dr Jalil Parker, chest physician at Lilavati Hospital.
Agreeing with Dr Parkar, Dr Bajan said that dengue cases this year is already showing liver, kidney and lung involvement and early diagnosis is must.

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