Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Fever, gastro tighten grip on Mumbai
Sumitra Deb Roy Sumitra Deb Roy , TNN | Jun 16, 2011, 01.10am IST
MUMBAI: Numerous fumigation drives and awareness campaigns later, malaria finally seems to be losing its grip on the city, claims the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The mosquito-borne ailment has so far not claimed any life and there are fewer positive cases compared to last year.
At the same time, fever and water-borne ailments are giving Mumbaikars a tough time. On Wednesday, over 184 patients sought admission to civic hospitals due to fever and 60 for gastroenteritis. Over 2,473 patients have been admitted to hospitals for fever and 697 for gastroenteritis this month.
"The number of fever cases would only swell if we take into account the patients treated in the Out Patient Department (OPD)," said a senior physician from South Mumbai. "But, not all fever cases are malaria as seasonal flu is very much in circulation," the doctor who consults at the KEM Hospital said.
...
Girgaum-based physician Dr Krishnakanth Dhebri said cases of typhoid in the area were very rampant.
Meanwhile, according to numbers provided by the civic body, malaria seems to be on a downhill in the city. In the last 15 days, 80,146 people were tested for malaria. Of these, 1,635 have tested positive. "The current slide positivity rate is 2.2% as compared to 5.9% last June," said Mhaiskar. "Last year, 5,866 people had tested positive for malaria in June. Considering that half of this month is over, it could be said that we stand in a better position against malaria so far," she added.
Malaria cases in the worst affected Kurla ward have also come down from 442 cases in April to 367 in May. This month, the area has recorded 101 cases so far. The civic body now plans to widely publicize panchasutra so that citizens go hand-in-hand in fighting the ailment.
Assistant health officer Mangala Gomare is optimistic that there wouldn't be a spurt in malaria cases in July and August.
"We have strengthened our surveillance. More than 3,800 slides are being tested by our technicians daily, while the rest are outsourced to private labs," she added.
Malaria claimed 15 lives till May this year, but there have been no deaths since the onset of monsoon.
There has been a decrease in falciparum cases, considered to be deadlier than vivax, in May compared to last year. "While there were 261 falciparum cases in May last year, there have been only 149 cases this year," she added.
...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ighten-grip-on-Mumbai/articleshow/8869011.cms
Sumitra Deb Roy Sumitra Deb Roy , TNN | Jun 16, 2011, 01.10am IST
MUMBAI: Numerous fumigation drives and awareness campaigns later, malaria finally seems to be losing its grip on the city, claims the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The mosquito-borne ailment has so far not claimed any life and there are fewer positive cases compared to last year.
At the same time, fever and water-borne ailments are giving Mumbaikars a tough time. On Wednesday, over 184 patients sought admission to civic hospitals due to fever and 60 for gastroenteritis. Over 2,473 patients have been admitted to hospitals for fever and 697 for gastroenteritis this month.
"The number of fever cases would only swell if we take into account the patients treated in the Out Patient Department (OPD)," said a senior physician from South Mumbai. "But, not all fever cases are malaria as seasonal flu is very much in circulation," the doctor who consults at the KEM Hospital said.
...
Girgaum-based physician Dr Krishnakanth Dhebri said cases of typhoid in the area were very rampant.
Meanwhile, according to numbers provided by the civic body, malaria seems to be on a downhill in the city. In the last 15 days, 80,146 people were tested for malaria. Of these, 1,635 have tested positive. "The current slide positivity rate is 2.2% as compared to 5.9% last June," said Mhaiskar. "Last year, 5,866 people had tested positive for malaria in June. Considering that half of this month is over, it could be said that we stand in a better position against malaria so far," she added.
Malaria cases in the worst affected Kurla ward have also come down from 442 cases in April to 367 in May. This month, the area has recorded 101 cases so far. The civic body now plans to widely publicize panchasutra so that citizens go hand-in-hand in fighting the ailment.
Assistant health officer Mangala Gomare is optimistic that there wouldn't be a spurt in malaria cases in July and August.
"We have strengthened our surveillance. More than 3,800 slides are being tested by our technicians daily, while the rest are outsourced to private labs," she added.
Malaria claimed 15 lives till May this year, but there have been no deaths since the onset of monsoon.
There has been a decrease in falciparum cases, considered to be deadlier than vivax, in May compared to last year. "While there were 261 falciparum cases in May last year, there have been only 149 cases this year," she added.
...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ighten-grip-on-Mumbai/articleshow/8869011.cms