Viral fevers have not yet run their course

More cases might continue to be reported till the end of winter, say doctors

September 23, 2019 11:19 pm | Updated September 24, 2019 07:47 am IST - HYDERABAD

A high number of viral fever cases might continue to be reported from Hyderabad, said doctors and added that influenza (A and B) fevers and swine flu would persist till the end of winter.

“High humidity and cold temperatures are favourable conditions for viruses to survive,” they said and suggested people to take a balanced diet and keep track of the medical disorders they are suffer from.

Influenza (flu) A and B, swine flu, dengue and Malaria are also referred to as viral fevers. While the number of mosquito-borne diseases increase in monsoon, other viral fevers continue to spread throughout the winter. Though viral fever cases go up during monsoon every year, the officials said that they did not expect the number of cases that were reported this year.

Given the situation, people consulting doctors at Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical and Communicable Diseases (Fever Hospital) at Nallakunta has gone up drastically. From August, around 2,000 people a day have visited the out-patient ward at the hospital. In summers, the number drops to about 800. A majority of the patients who consult doctors suffer from influenza fevers.

Superintendent of Fever Hospital, K. Shankar, said both dengue and seasonal flu (influenza-A) have similar symptoms. “Cold, cough, headache, body pains and fever are the symptoms of both the diseases. Dengue patients might have rashes on body and will have unbearable body aches similar to the pain that one experiences when they have a fracture,” Dr. Shankar said.

He said when a person visits their hospital on the third or the fourth day of fever, they make them undergo a test to know if platelets count is normal. MAC-ELISA test is performed to know if the patient is suffering from dengue.

A consultant physician at Sunshine Hospitals, K. Prashanth Kumar, said to avoid flu fevers, people have to keep away from mass gatherings and maintain hygiene. Those who have flu have to cover their mouth with hand kerchief as it spreads through droplets. Besides, people have to take a balanced diet, including green leafy vegetables and fruits, to build immunity.

Senior consultant physician at KIMS Hospitals, K. Shivaraju, said the elderly, pregnant women, children and those suffering from medical conditions are more prone to contract the infections.

Vaccine against swine flu is offered at private hospitals. It works for one year after it is administered. The doctors said that though the vaccine might not completely protect people from swine flu, it would help prevent the severity of infection.

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