AHMEDABAD: In this season of malaise, when patients queue up at hospitals with fever , body ache, and other symptoms of vector-borne diseases, they are not treated for dengue, chikungunya , or malaria alone. They might need treatment for more than one or even all of the diseases.The city has received four spells of rain, but the mosquito horror has not subsided. Experts say that anopheles, the carrier of malaria, and aedes aegypti , the carrier of dengue and chikungunya, are prevalent in the city.Dr Asha Shah, professor and the head of the department of medicine at Civil Hospital, said that over the past couple of years, patients are being diagnosed with multiple infections.“We can understand the presence of dengue and chikungunya together as both are spread by the same mosquito,” she said. “ But often, malaria is part of the mix. In the case of malaria, sometimes we see symptoms of both vivax and falciparum variants. Thus, we advise students not to stop after diagnosing obvious symptoms.”Dr Manoj Vithalani, an Ahmedabad physician, confirmed the trend. “Dual infection is seen primarily in patients with lower immunity or those in the older age groups,” he said. “The trend was not strong a few years ago, but now it is manifesting aggressively. It is for epidemiologists to determine the reason.” He advised people to be vigilant about the mosquito breeding sites and open water sources.In the first 13 days of October, the city reported 12 cases of dengue, 13 cases of typhoid, and 11 cases of jaundice daily — registering a 24% rise in dengue cases compared to last year. According to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) figures, typhoid cases have registered an increase of 76% and jaundice cases have grown by 55% compared to 2017 figures. Sources said that the actual prevalence can be higher. “A schoolboy was killed by dengue but that is not reflected in AMC data,” said an official, adding that laboratories might be a better source to understand the spread and the areas affected. “Beds are not vacant in hospitals such as Shardaben,” the official said. “Moreover, private hospitals are not submitting figures. When those are taken into account, the numbers may be higher.”Officials said that against 227 cases of typhoid reported in October last year, 168 cases were reported this year in the first 13 days of the month. In the case of jaundice, the number was 216 and 140 respectively.

Stay updated with all the Ahmedabad Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.