Doctors call for caution as respiratory infections rise

PUNE:The city has been witnessing a sudden spurt of cases of respiratory infections over the past 10 days which experts believe is due to the combination of factors like change in weather patterns and prevalance of virulents in the atmosphere.

"Viral respiratory infections are on the rise in children. This may be due to the onset of monsoon resulting in an increase in viral infections. There is about 25per cent rise in OPD cases of respiratory infections and diarrhea. Also, about 10per cent increase in indoor admissions due to dengue, dengue like illnesses and flu. Some children are also getting convulsions with fever due to dengue and need to be admitted in hospital," Dr Rajesh Kulkarni, pediatrician at YCM Hospital in Pune, said,

Physician Dr Hillary Rodrigues said that viral infections like the common cold, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) tend to thrive during monsoon as there is an increase in humidity with fluctuations in temperature. "The moist conditions create an ideal breeding ground for viruses to proliferate. Furthermore, people often get exposed to these viruses by getting wet in the rainwhich can facilitate entry of pathogens into the respiratory system."

"People are coming to us with with flu like illnesses. There is at least a 25per cent increase in such patients at my OPD in comparison to May and June this year. Several parents have come to the OPD with these complaints, as their children had contracted the infection at school and then transmitted it to those at home," Dr Abhijit Lodha, physician at Ruby Hall Clinic, said.