Mumbai: 19 people had been died in Mumbai till now by dengue. A 28 year-0ld resident of Khar-East was the 19th victim of dengue. He had been died on 16 November but Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (#BMC) confirmed his death on Friday.
Epidemology in-charge in BMC Dr Mangala Gomare said, “The man was admitted to VN Desai Hospital in Santacruz East on November 8. He died within a week due to dengue.”
VN Desai Hospital authorities said that the platelets count of victim had fallen rapidly and before they could salvage the situation, he had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, a complication associated with dengue, and he couldn’t be revived.
The death toll of this year had been touched 19 by dengue with this death.
BMC, however, is in a state of denial. At a death investigation committee meeting on Friday, BMC decided to keep the dengue death figure at 12. The official toll declared by the civic body overrides last year’s toll which stood at 11. The committee has been formed to investigate suspected dengue deaths in the city.
BMC claimed that there is no standardization in reporting dengue deaths, its committee will have to check all medical records before declaring if a death had been caused because of dengue or not. While most doctors clinically diagnose dengue on the basis of symptoms and NS1 antigen rapid blood test, BMC insists that a confirmatory antibody test should also be conducted.
Dr Khusrav Bhajan, intensivist at PD Hinduja Hospital, said, “We have been witnessing a dip in the number of dengue cases in the last few days. Right time, right diagnosis and right combination of medicines is the key to recovery. People with co-morbid factor should be more careful in case they have fever. Self medication should be avoided.”
The city has been under the grip of the potent DEN2 and DEN4 virus type, which may lead to a patient’s death within anywhere between 24 hours and four days.
Antibody tests meanwhile can only be conducted after five days of the onset of the symptoms. A patient may not survive until confirmatory tests are conducted, in which case the deaths may go unreported by BMC.
The classic examples of the virulent form of disease are K Radhkrishnan (52), Purnima Iyer (41) and the recent VN Desai Hospital victim.
It attacks multiple organs and causes internal bleeding, leading to death. BMC has to date reported 760 dengue cases in the city this year.
Bureau Report
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