New Delhi unseasonal rains: Delhi hospitals have been witnessing an uptick in patients with upper respiratory tract infections, typhoid, and gastroenteritis due to the unseasonal rains and weather changes. According to doctors, the number of such cases has nearly doubled owing to an increased awareness about such infections necessitated by the pandemic.Also Read – Swine Flu, Dengue, Malaria Cases Rise In Mumbai: BMC Urges All to Follow Guidelines
“These days, we are getting more than 20 patients every day in the OPD with complaints of upper respiratory tract infections, undiagnosed prolonged fever, typhoid, cases of swine flu, allergies, pneumonia and dengue,” said Dr Bhagwan Mantri, consultant pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Moolchand Hospital told news agency PTI, adding that the infections are happening across all age groups but when respiratory tract infections happen among the elderly, they assume a severe form. Also Read – What is Scrub Typhus? All You Need to Know About The Bacterial Infection Which Has Killed a 12-Year-old in Meerut
According to experts, the surge of infectious diseases is generally seen after monsoon every year. But unlike previous years, some hospitals are also witnessing cases of scrub typhus and leptospirosis in greater numbers due to unseasonal rains in the national capital. Also Read – 1st Monkeypox Case in Delhi: Govt Notifies Hospitals to Report Suspected Cases, Issues Guidelines
Scrub typhus is an infectious disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, a mite-borne bacterium. Chigger mites, the larval stage of mites, transmit the disease from animals like rats, squirrels, and rabbits to humans. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection transmitted through urine or excreta of rats and cattle.
Here’s How To Protect Yourself From Unseasonal Rains
- Drinking six to eight glasses of water every day is a sure way to boost your immune system. Make sure that you take it from a clean source because contaminated water is the main cause of diarrhea, typhoid fever, and cholera.
- The DOH explains that Leptospirosis is common during the rainy season because “waste products (such as urine and feces) of an infected animal, especially rats, contaminate the soil, water, and vegetation, especially during floods.”
- Maintain personal and environmental hygiene. Wash fruits and vegetables througjly before consumption. Ensure open drains and manhols are coered in your vicinity.
- Dengue is caused by a virus acquired through mosquito bites. Avoid storing stagnant water in open containers as this can promote mosquito breeding.
- Doing recreational activities as simple as watching a movie or playing a board game can put you in a positive mood.
Keep safe and healthy 🙂