As the monsoon settles over Mumbai, doctors are reporting a noticeable increase in patients presenting with fever, body ache and other symptoms associated with mosquito-borne illnesses. With stagnant water and increased mosquito breeding providing favourable conditions, malaria and dengue are once again emerging as a concern across the city.
Mumbai’s monsoon has brought with it a familiar health threat. Alongside waterlogging, traffic snarls and overflowing drains, the season has also seen a rise in mosquito-borne illnesses, with doctors reporting more patients seeking consultations for high fever, chills, body ache and weakness.
Malaria and dengue remain among the most common vector-borne infections associated with the rainy season. While malaria is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, dengue is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can breed in small collections of stagnant water around homes and neighbourhoods.
“The monsoon creates ideal conditions for mosquito breeding, particularly where there is stagnant water. We are seeing more patients coming in with fever, body ache, headache and weakness, and dengue and malaria are among the illnesses that need to be considered,” says Dr Ramesh Shah, a family physician.
Doctors, however, caution against assuming that every monsoon fever is dengue or malaria. Viral infections and other illnesses can produce similar symptoms, making testing important, particularly when fever persists or is accompanied by warning signs.
Dengue may begin with a sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain and marked fatigue. Malaria can cause fever with chills and sweating, often in cycles, although presentations can vary. Both conditions can become serious if not recognised and managed appropriately.
One of the challenges with dengue is that the period when the fever begins to settle does not necessarily mean the patient is out of danger. Warning signs such as persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, bleeding, extreme weakness, restlessness or drowsiness require prompt medical attention.
“People should not self-medicate for several days simply because they assume it is a routine viral fever. If the fever is high or persistent, or if there are symptoms such as severe weakness, vomiting, abdominal pain or any bleeding, medical evaluation should not be delayed,” says Shah.
The preventive measures, meanwhile, remain deceptively simple. Mosquitoes need relatively small amounts of stagnant water to breed, making flowerpots, discarded containers, tyres, coolers, roof gutters and other water-holding receptacles potential breeding sites.
Experts advise residents to empty and scrub water containers regularly, keep water tanks properly covered, avoid accumulation of water around homes and use mosquito repellents and protective clothing wherever appropriate.
For a city as densely populated as Mumbai, individual precautions also have a wider public-health significance. Eliminating breeding sites in residential buildings, construction sites and public spaces can help reduce mosquito populations in entire neighbourhoods.
“The most important thing is not to wait for cases to increase before taking precautions. Mosquito control has to happen at the level of every household and every building. Removing stagnant water is one of the simplest and most effective steps people can take,” says Shah.
For residents, the message this monsoon is therefore straightforward: A fever should not automatically be dismissed as a seasonal viral infection, particularly when mosquito-borne diseases are circulating. Early medical evaluation, appropriate testing and attention to warning signs can make the difference between a routine illness and a potentially serious one.
