Meningococcemia - India - Brain fever hits Delhi

[emmysue]

Brain Fever Hits Delhi
Thursday, March 9, 2006 (New Delhi):
http://www.ndtv.com/topstories/showt...Delhi&id=18926

Meningococcemia, the highly infectious brain fever, has hit Delhi again with 313 people suspected of contracting the disease.

The bacterial infection causes high fever in just a few hours and can prove fatal if not treated quickly.

In many cases limbs, which swell and develop a severe rash, have to be amputated.

More cases

The most alarming fact is that the figure this year is higher than last year's outbreak, which killed 20 people.

Last year 140 cases had tested positive. But this year the National Institute of Communicable Diseases says 268 cases have already tested positive while 38 others are being investigated.

"Yes we have been getting a large number of cases and it's more than the usual," said Dr NK Tiwari, Director, Health, Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

This winter many students in North Delhi have come down with the disease. Most of the cases are being reported from areas like Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar, Paharganj and Civil Lines.

But a cautious government has refused to declare an outbreak nor begun an awareness campaign.

The real worry however, is that the figure may actually be higher as many patients are being treated at private hospitals and nursing homes, which are not reporting them to the government.

[eladdie]

Re: Brain fever hits Delhi

Brain Fever Hits Delhi
Thursday, March 9, 2006 (New Delhi):
http://www.ndtv.com/topstories/showt...Delhi&id=18926

Meningococcemia, the highly infectious brain fever, has hit Delhi again with 313 people suspected of contracting the disease.

The bacterial infection causes high fever in just a few hours and can prove fatal if not treated quickly.

In many cases limbs, which swell and develop a severe rash, have to be amputated.

More cases

The most alarming fact is that the figure this year is higher than last year's outbreak, which killed 20 people.

Last year 140 cases had tested positive. But this year the National Institute of Communicable Diseases says 268 cases have already tested positive while 38 others are being investigated.

"Yes we have been getting a large number of cases and it's more than the usual," said Dr NK Tiwari, Director, Health, Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

This winter many students in North Delhi have come down with the disease. Most of the cases are being reported from areas like Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar, Paharganj and Civil Lines.

But a cautious government has refused to declare an outbreak nor begun an awareness campaign.

The real worry however, is that the figure may actually be higher as many patients are being treated at private hospitals and nursing homes, which are not reporting them to the government.

Saturday, March 11, 2006 (New Delhi):

At least 21 people have died in Delhi and 370 others are believed to be affected by Meningococcemia, the highly infectious brain fever.

While the government is trying to combat its spread through antibiotics, medicines are not reaching affected areas quick enough.

Brain fever spreads through contact. The first step in containing the disease is chemoprophylaxis or antibiotics, which should be given to the patient's family so they can build up resistance.

Adult members need to be given 500 mgs of Ciprofloxacin while children should be given antibiotic syrup. These measures should be taken immediately.

"Chemoprophylaxis is being done and we are doing house to house surveys. Health workers are vaccinated," said Dr KK Tiwari, Director of Health Services, MCD.

Hard facts

Though the government is banking on this strategy, the situation on the ground is very different.

When 13-year-old Imanuddin was detected with this fever he stayed in close contact with all the people in the madrasa he studied.

Consequently, all others became active carriers of the disease. The health workers came six days later and by then all of them were highly prone to the disease.

"Yes, we came after six days, but that's when we got the information," said a doctor.

In another densely congested area in Karol Bagh 70 people have been diagnosed with brain fever and there are reports of deaths.

Infection breeds easily in these areas with several people, most of them migrant laborers, sharing a small living space.

Workers on the ground say that in most cases they cannot track down a patient's family. Clearly the scale of infection seems much higher than reported.

Perhaps, the government strategy should have also focussed on public awareness. Many cases could have been averted simply by awareness.http://www.ndtv.com/template/templat...egory=National