The city has reported 16 suspected dengue deaths in the past one month. Hospitals are seeing an increase in the number of viral infections and dengue cases. The unhygienic state of the city as garbage remained uncleared last week, even as rains lashed the city, is an invitation for diseases to spread. “This is most likely to give rise to water borne and vector borne diseases. The rainwater contaminated with the garbage waste in the open on roadsides is likely to affect the tap water which might lead to an increase in cases of gastroenteritis and typhoid," said Dr Anand Mandapur, general physician at Fortis Hospital.
The combination of accumulated garbage and the heavy rains on Thursday night is the sort of condition in which vectors like mosquitoes breed and multiply. This is how cases of dengue and malaria can increase and water borne diseases like diarrhoea, gastroenteritis and typhoid are likely to witness a rise too, asserted Dr Indu Nair, HOD, General Medicine, Baptist Hospital.
“This is not all; the rodents feeding on the garbage will be multiplying, further increasing the nuisance of leptospirosis which generally spreads when drinking water gets contaminated with rodent’s urine. It is high time that the civic body take immediate action and generate awareness,” she adds. Dr H. Paramesh, president, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association and a renowned pulmonologist, outlines a worse case scenario.
“If the garbage menace is not paid immediate attention to, plague might resurface. In addition to it many other related diseases are likely to hit the city. The city and its population are growing every year, trees are being chopped. It is the responsibility of the municipal authorities to plan the cleaning of drains and garbage accordingly.”