Viral fever cases lay citizens low
Express news service
Posted online: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 12:00:00
Updated: Tuesday , January 08, 2008 at 11:32:51
Pune, January 8 Blame it on the rotavirus and seasonal variation that has had doctors checking more patients with cold, cough and fever and diahorrea in their clinics and out patient departments (OPD). While rotavirus most often infects infants and young children ? ages three months to two years ? those with the infection have fever, nausea and vomiting followed by abdominal cramps and frequent water diahorrea. Children who are infected may also have a cough and runny nose.
Says Dr Pramod Jog, president of the Pune branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), parents need to worry if the child has high fever and blood in the stools. There have been cases of winter diahorrea apart from Wheeze Associated Lower Respiratory Infection. According to Dr Sharad Agharkhedkar, paediatrician, there are pockets in the city which are seeing more cases of chicken pox like in Pashan and Sus fringe village areas.
?Headaches, body aches and a skin rash characterise most of these viral fevers,? says Dr Rajesh Gadia, consulting physician and chief intensivist at KEM hospital. They affect any age group and require only symptomatic treatment, he said. According to Dr Dilip Sarda, there are cases of viral hepatitis as well and due to the change in the weather, there are patients with upper respiratory tract infections apart from diahorrea. Dr C Sanghvi who has also been treating a fair share of cases of viral fevers says that the treatment is symptomatic. Intake of fluids is essential during this period, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, the last few days city has experienced windy mornings with the minimum temperatures fluctuating from normal to below normal for the season. The Met department on Tuesday recorded a temperature of 11.3 degree Celsius as against Monday?s 10.1 degree Celsius.
The Met department said temperatures will rise in the coming days because of clouding. ?Clouding is expected because of the trough in the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere. In the lower levers there is a trough in easterlies from south east Arabian sea to east central Arabian sea, and because of the two synoptic conditions some clouding is expected to develop,??said Dr Medha Khole, director, weather central of the India Meteorological Department. ?With the prevailing conditions the temperature will rise one degree higher though the chill factor will remain and the windy conditions will continue to exist,? she added. It was only on November that the city recorded a temperature of 8.3 degrees Celsius.
Express news service
Posted online: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 12:00:00
Updated: Tuesday , January 08, 2008 at 11:32:51
Pune, January 8 Blame it on the rotavirus and seasonal variation that has had doctors checking more patients with cold, cough and fever and diahorrea in their clinics and out patient departments (OPD). While rotavirus most often infects infants and young children ? ages three months to two years ? those with the infection have fever, nausea and vomiting followed by abdominal cramps and frequent water diahorrea. Children who are infected may also have a cough and runny nose.
Says Dr Pramod Jog, president of the Pune branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), parents need to worry if the child has high fever and blood in the stools. There have been cases of winter diahorrea apart from Wheeze Associated Lower Respiratory Infection. According to Dr Sharad Agharkhedkar, paediatrician, there are pockets in the city which are seeing more cases of chicken pox like in Pashan and Sus fringe village areas.
?Headaches, body aches and a skin rash characterise most of these viral fevers,? says Dr Rajesh Gadia, consulting physician and chief intensivist at KEM hospital. They affect any age group and require only symptomatic treatment, he said. According to Dr Dilip Sarda, there are cases of viral hepatitis as well and due to the change in the weather, there are patients with upper respiratory tract infections apart from diahorrea. Dr C Sanghvi who has also been treating a fair share of cases of viral fevers says that the treatment is symptomatic. Intake of fluids is essential during this period, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, the last few days city has experienced windy mornings with the minimum temperatures fluctuating from normal to below normal for the season. The Met department on Tuesday recorded a temperature of 11.3 degree Celsius as against Monday?s 10.1 degree Celsius.
The Met department said temperatures will rise in the coming days because of clouding. ?Clouding is expected because of the trough in the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere. In the lower levers there is a trough in easterlies from south east Arabian sea to east central Arabian sea, and because of the two synoptic conditions some clouding is expected to develop,??said Dr Medha Khole, director, weather central of the India Meteorological Department. ?With the prevailing conditions the temperature will rise one degree higher though the chill factor will remain and the windy conditions will continue to exist,? she added. It was only on November that the city recorded a temperature of 8.3 degrees Celsius.