Surge in fever cases among kids post rain

Though the numbers are not as high as the previous years so as to raise concerns, paediatric experts said parents should be careful about malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

The number of fever cases at the Institute of Child Health (ICH) was less than 30 cases until last month. However, more than 15 cases have been reported in the last one week alone. Doctors at the hospital said recent rains could have led to the spike in the cases of different fevers among children, and added that they are likely to continue in the coming months as monsoon strengthens.

“Fever cases usually increase after the monsoon. Paediatric fever cases get complicated when the children also suffer from acute diarrhoeal diseases. Many fever cases turn out to be some kind of vector-borne disease. However, unlike previous years, the cases of dengue are lower than malaria this year,” said Dr Mohan Kumar, consultant paediatrician at ICH.

The spike in fever came at a time when the number of COVID-19 cases at the hospital has reduced. According to doctors at ICH, less than 10 cases of coronavirus infection are reported at the hospital every day.

“Though COVID cases have declined, parents need to be careful about malaria and other vector-borne diseases in children. Fever cases become common after monsoon, mainly due to seasonal changes or water contamination. This year, the number of fever cases are lower than what was reported in the previous years, as the dengue outbreaks are under control,” said Dr S Srinivasan, coordinator, State Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.