Monsoon brings hosts of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya, Zika virus among others. The mosquitoes spreading these diseases breed in stagnant water. This monsoon, Karnataka is facing the menace of dengue fever killing hundreds and leaving tens of thousands sick.
The mosquito-borne disease has become one of the worst nightmares for people in the southern state. Also called ‘breakbone fever’ or ‘dandy fever’, dengue is caused by a family of viruses and is transmitted through the Aedes mosquito.
The highest number of dengue cases is reported from the state capital, Bengaluru. Not just dengue, Chikungunya cases spread by the bite of mosquitoes are also on the rise in Karnataka, making the situation worse and giving a tough time to health practitioners.
Another vector-borne disease, Malaria, a common ailment in the Malnad and coastal areas, is also creating havoc in Bengaluru owing to uncontrolled breeding of mosquitoes.
Meanwhile, floods across several districts of the state have made situation worse with both dengue and chikungunya spreading mosquitoes becoming extremely rampant. The situation has turned so bad that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has listed Karnataka as one of the five worst-hit states this year among Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala along with Gujarat and Rajasthan.
A General Physician with a government hospital in Bengaluru, Dr Srikantha N told The New Indian Express that “This year has been bad”, claiming to see a minimum of 20 cases with suspected symptoms of dengue every day.
“It has been so bad that Union minister Harsh Vardhan had even convened a meeting with all states to tackle this vector-borne disease. However, not much seems to be happening in this area,” Dr Srikantha N added.
According to the National Health Mission Family and Welfare Services, Karnataka, the total number of cases of dengue has already crossed 5,000 this year.
The daily quoted Dr Bhagath Ram, a physician at Victoria Hospital, saying that the dengue virus has been attacking vital organs in the abdomen more quickly and frequently with altered symptoms this monsoon resulting in quicker deaths due to multi-organ failure.
“While haemorrhage and skin rashes had been the predominant initial effects of the virus till last year, they have changed to kidney and liver failure, pancreas ailment or water accumulation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract this year, making recovery difficult,” the report quoted Dr Gopikrishna, a paediatrician at a private hospital, saying.
Dr Gopikrishna added, “While you can deal with hemorrhage more easily with platelet transfusion, it becomes very difficult if the organs start malfunctioning. This has been happening very frequently this year.”
In Karnataka, the dengue virus has also been triggering diarrhoea. Dr Prashanth RS, a general physician and consultant from Koramangala, told The New Indian Express, “The symptoms have been treacherous this year making victims take it lightly. Instead of waiting for rashes to appear or platelet to drop, dengue patients should consult doctors immediately.”
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