Every July our beds fill with dengue, typhoid, leptospirosis and gastroenteritis. The pattern is so predictable that prevention is worth taking seriously before the rains begin.
Dengue: it breeds in clean water
The Aedes mosquito breeds in clean stagnant water — flowerpot trays, water coolers, discarded tyres, terrace tanks and the little dish under the refrigerator. Empty and scrub these weekly. Screens and repellent matter during the day, because this mosquito bites in daylight.
Warning signs that need immediate hospital assessment: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from gums or nose, black stools, extreme lethargy, or a fever that suddenly drops while the patient looks worse.
Typhoid and waterborne infection
Drink only boiled, filtered or sealed-bottle water. Avoid cut fruit, salads and ice from roadside vendors during the monsoon. Typhoid conjugate vaccine gives several years of protection and is worth considering for children and for anyone who eats out frequently.
Leptospirosis after wading through water
Walking barefoot through flooded streets with an open cut is the classic route. Wash and cover wounds, and see a doctor if fever follows exposure to floodwater — this one responds well to early antibiotics and badly to delay.
What not to do
- Do not take painkillers such as ibuprofen or aspirin for a monsoon fever — they worsen bleeding risk in dengue. Use paracetamol.
- Do not start antibiotics on your own; most monsoon fevers are viral.
- Do not wait beyond 48 hours of continuous fever without a blood test.
Simple things that work
Handwashing before meals, weekly dry-day for water containers, full-sleeved clothes at dusk, and getting a fever tested rather than treated by guesswork.
