Stomach flu cases in June lowest since 2012: BMC
Hepatitis cases too drop; absence of street food helped, say doctors
MUMBAI: The absence of street food vendors due to the lockdown has reduced cases of gastroenteritis — also known as stomach flu — to its lowest count in eight years. Other illnesses, like hepatitis and dengue, have also reported fewer patients this year, say experts.
Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shows that the number of gastroenteritis cases dropped by almost 15 times in June to 40 cases, as compared 777 cases in June 2019. So far in July, 21 cases of gastroenteritis have been recorded. Similarly, last year, the city witnessed 282 cases of hepatitis in June while this year in June, only three cases were reported. There have been no cases of hepatitis this month so far.
Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean of King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, said, “During monsoon, waterlogging and overflowing sewage lines spread bacteria and viruses. So we see the highest number of gastroenteritis and hepatitis cases, mostly caused by contaminated water. But this year, the flow of patients has gone down by almost 70%. Closure of roadside food stalls, which is the primary source of infection, is one of the major factors behind the plunge in cases.”
Dengue cases have also dropped, with four cases in June as compared to eight in June 2019. Five patients were diagnosed with leptospirosis in June 2019 while only one leptospirosis patient was reported last month.
However, there has been a slight increase in cases of malaria. In June 2019, there were 313 cases of malaria in Mumbai while last month, 328 cases were reported.
“Due to limitations on the movement of people, they were not exposed as much to mosquito breeding grounds. Additionally, all construction sites are closed,” said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy health officer, BMC.
No deaths have been recorded due to any of these ailments since April.
Due to similarities in the symptoms of malaria and dengue with Covid-19, all patients are mandatorily tested for the
Sars-cov-2 virus. “We have kept separate beds for monsoon-related ailments, but the flow of such patients is thin so far. Also, the cases of co-infection of Covid-19 with monsoon ailments are rare,” said Dr Deshmukh.
Doctors said cases of monsoon-related illnesses may rise once there is heavier rain, leading to stagnant water. In July, the civic body has registered 236 cases of malaria in the city with
June 2019
July 2019
June 2020
July 2020 (till 12)
78 cases reported in the first week and 158 cases in the second.
“We have kept over 9,000 noncovid beds ready for treatment of such patients. Generally, cases rise to the highest by the end of August when the city witnesses the heaviest rainfall. Thankfully, till Wednesday, no deaths have been reported due to dengue or malaria,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, BMC.