The city has recorded the season’s first leptospirosis and dengue deaths. A 15-year-old boy from Kurla succumbed to leptospirosis on Monday while a 13-year-old died of dengue on June 13 at the civic-run Sion Hospital.
Bharat Kale was admitted to the hospital on Sunday with high-grade fever and chills. His medical reports confirmed leptospirosis. Doctors said he went into acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi organ failure and died within 24 hours of admission.
BMC Executive Health Officer Dr. Padmaja Keskar said leptospirosis was suspected, and the epidemiological investigation committee would review it. “The boy had a history of playing football in the mud. We have carried out surveillance in the area,” she said.
A man in his 40s who has tested positive for leptospirosis is critical at the hospital. He was brought in with breathlessness and was coughing blood. “The complications are severe. Therefore immediate prophylactic treatment is advisable,” said Dr. Nitin Karnik, Head of Medicine at Sion Hospital. He said a spurt in leptospirosis cases occurs a week after heavy rain and waterlogging. “People should take the prophylactic dose every time they wade through water,” he said.
In the second case, Mohammad Rehan, a Dharavi resident, was admitted to Sion Hospital around 6.38 a.m. on June 13, and he succumbed at 4.45 p.m. the same day. He went into dengue haemorrhagic shock with encephalitis.
The season brings with it a spurt in cases of fever. However, doctors have observed that most cases come with severe complications, and patients are testing negative for common diseases. “We are getting fever patients with renal failure, severe jaundice and liver failure, bleeding disorders, acute respiratory distress etc,” said Dr. Karnik. He said most complications are seen in the migrant population and pregnant women.
