The city is in the grip of an unprecedented dengue outbreak. Not only are the numbers historically high, but according to doctors, the symptoms this year are unexpected and severe.
The city had 2,177 officially confirmed dengue cases as of Monday. The figures only include cases that were verified by an ELISA test, not those that were positive in rapid tests.
The city had 1,514 dengue cases during the 2016 outbreak. Following this, the only time the city experienced dengue in four digits prior to this year was in 2019, when 1,247 cases were reported.
According to VMC officials, the disease has not reached unprecedented levels in the neighbourhood. “The statistics appear higher due to improved testing and reporting,” said Dr Devesh Patel, medical officer (health) of VMC.
Apart from the increased numbers, doctors in the city report that other symptoms that were previously uncommon in Dengue were more frequent this time. “This time, neurological, lung, and liver involvement was more widespread,” infectious diseases expert Dr Hiten Kareliya stated. He stated that he had seen cases of kidney infection, cystitis of the urinary bladder, liver abscess, meningitis, and other illnesses. “In past years, classic signs were fever, rashes, and platelet reduction,” he said.
Dr. Niraj Chawda of Nand Hospital also stated that there were not many cases of haemorrhagic fever this time around. “We’ve seen cases of lung involvement and encephalitis,” Chawda said.
Dr. Chawda further said that one of the causes for the severe symptoms could be because some people were becoming infected for the second time. “In such circumstances, the sickness is severe. Dengue fever was not common in the city until a few years ago. Because a greater population has already been infected once, there is a potential that some people are getting infected a second time “He stated.
According to a VMC health official, “The long-term effects of Covid-19 on organs are well known. Covid may have been present in severe or uncommon dengue cases in the past, but there is no record of this “said the official