Viral fever cases on the rise in city, say docs

City doctors have reported a rise in cases of viral fever, apart from other monsoon aliments such as malaria, jaundice and gastroenteritis, in the past two weeks. Patients’ symptoms include red eyes, loose motions, vomiting and severe muscle pain.

City doctors have reported a rise in cases of viral fever, apart from other monsoon aliments such as malaria, jaundice and gastroenteritis, in the past two weeks. Patients’ symptoms include red eyes, loose motions, vomiting and severe muscle pain.

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“The symptoms in these cases differ from the normal virus cases. Normally, viral fever lasts about four days, but these cases take between eight and 10 days to subside with the weakness lasting for more than a week,” said Dr Pankaj Mehta, a family physician from Kalachowkie area, who gets about 30 patients with these symptoms every day.

This month has also seen doctors treating sporadic cases of malaria, jaundice and gastroenteritis. “Compared to the last two months, there is a 20% spike in these cases,” said Dr Vibhakar Adhvaryu, who practises in Napean Sea Road area.

The civic body, on Thursday, claimed that compared to last July, there has been a dip of over 65% in the number of malaria cases in Dadar, Worli, Parel, Kurla, and Byculla areas among other 'high-risk' areas.

“We have managed to control the spread of malaria to a great extent in the city, proving that our programme has been a success,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner, BMC.