New Delhi, Many have been afflicted with two or more monsoon diseases at the same time during the post monsoon season this year. The cases of dengue-malaria, dengue-typhoid and dengue-hepatitis have been reported widely in the national capital. It is believed that such co-infections, whether vector-borne or water-borne, happen because the diseases are associated with the monsoon.
The majority of viral diseases were atypical viral with flu-like symptoms and not the regular dengue-malaria associated with the monsoon. Dengue and malaria together has been common and a combination of dengue and typhoid has also been reported. Viral fevers have been diagnosed with milder superimposed bacterial infections as well as a reason for the aggravated symptoms.
Patients with all kinds of fevers have come to fore. Sick fever, aggressive rashes on the body or simple severe prolonged joint pains characteristic of Chikungunya when the patients have been actually tested negative for the bug.
The reach of viral and similar infections this season has become a reason to worry as hospitals have reported that patients afflicted with the illnesses were showing severe symptoms and longer recovery period. The old adage that any fever beyond 4-6 days is usually not a viral has taken a beating. The recovery time has gone up to 10 to 12 days and the symptoms also varied.
