Mumbai: The city registered this year’s first rain-related fatality when a 35-year-old Kandivli resident succumbed to lung complications arising out of a leptospirosis infection on Friday.
The woman, who lived in Jagdamba Chawl of Hanumant Nagar in Kandivli (East), was admitted to Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital on July 13 and had a history of wading through flood water, said the civic health report issued on Saturday.
Leptospirosis emerged as a big public health worry in 2015, when 12 people succumbed to it within the first week of July.
Its incidence has shot up in the past week, with civic records showing that 27 patients suspected of it were admitted to civic hospitals in just two days. A senior BMC official said 102 patients with suspected leptospirosis were admitted to civic hospitals in the first week of July. “Only 20 of them turned out to have leptospirosis,” said the official.
Of the 15 cases reported on Saturday, five hailed from Ward K East of Andheri, while single cases were from Govandi, Bhandup and Malad, among others.
Incidentally, BMC’s daily health record on Saturday showed that 15 cases of dengue were admitted in the past 24 hours. “Our analysis has shown that dengue is not a cause for worry. The seemingly sudden surge is likely because some hospitals may have bunched up reports of a couple of days before sending it to the health department.”
Dr Amol Manerkar, who practises in Ghatkopar, said leptospirosis cases were mostly among patients hailing from the poorer socio-economic sector.
