Two die of malaria in Mumbai

KILLER DISEASE After swine flu, parasitic sickness haunts denizens

MUMBAI: Two patients suffering from malaria have died and health officials are probing whether three more deaths that have been reported over the last few days was due to the same illness. Over 2,000 cases of malaria have been detected this monsoon.

Come monsoons and it rains diseases like cats and dogs in Mumbai city. Till last week, deaths due to swine flu haunt citizens of the state and the new killer disease is malaria.

Of a total 2,338 cases reported for malaria, two have died and three other suspected deaths are being probed for the disease. Civic health officials said they will confirm only after the death review committee of Public Health Department analysed the cause of these three deaths.

Malaria is a parasitic disease that spreads among humans through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. In 2016, the city had reported 5,845 positive cases and 12 deaths due to the vector-borne disease.

“This year 2,338 people have been diagnosed with Malaria since January 1 to July 27, out of whom 650 cases were reported in July itself and five suspected deaths are reported out of whom two are confirmed. The second death due to malaria was reported on July 30,” a health official said.

The health officials further said delay in malaria treatment can lead to swelling of blood vessels to the brain, accumulation of fluid in the lungs that causes breathing problems or pulmonary oedema which can lead to failure of the kidneys and liver.

“Patients suffering from malaria need to be more careful and responsible and it is necessary that they are treated on time. The reason for getting late treatment is that most of the time people assume it is a flu,” said Dr. Padmaja Keskar, Executive Health Officer of BMC.

Dr. Keskar further said the death review committee is still studying the causes and comorbidities of the deaths and till now no severity of the disease is noticed.

Infectious disease experts said Plasmodium falciparum is one of the four parasites that causes malaria infection which is noticed in 67 per cent deaths.

P falciparum is one of the four species of human malaria parasites that includes Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale.

“I have not seen a lot of Malaria cases in Mumbai but when diagnosed, both sub-type of infections need to be treated,” said Dr. Om Srivastava, an infectious disease expert.