City braces for monsoon illnesses

While malaria might have lost its sting this monsoon,the rains have brought with it another breed of monsoon illnesses. Civic officials fear the heavy showers over the past week might see a rise in cases of jaundice,gastroenteritis,fever,leptospirosis,dengue and jaundice. Doctors across the city feel the next two weeks will be crucial since diseases like leptospirosis and dengue have an incubation period of about two weeks. KEM,Nair and Sion hospitals have already reported more than 400 cases of fever over the past week.

“The increased level of humidity in the air is ideal for disease causing bacteria and fungus which then gets transferred into drinking water causing jaundice and typhoid,” said Dr Smita Aboli of KEM hospital.

According to figures recorded by the BMC,around 4,000 people were admitted in civic hospitals for enteric illnesses in the past two months. Gasteroenteritis and jaundice claimed five lives last month. The BMC has been taking efforts to target complacent pockets of the city to tackle water-borne ailments.