Recent health data from early August shows a significant rise in viral infections across Hyderabad, coinciding with the onset of the monsoon season. This information comes from the Helping Hand Foundation, which operates 12 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the city.
During the first ten days of August, over 12,000 patients visited these health centres. Out of these visits, nearly half were for infectious diseases, totaling about 6,323 cases. A staggering 70% of these cases were identified as viral infections resembling seasonal flu, also known as Influenza-like Illness (ILI).
The remaining cases included bacterial infections (19%), fungal infections (7%), and a small number of parasitic infections (1%). Many of the patients reported common health issues such as body pain, headaches, fever with chills, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Notably, body pain and headaches constituted over one-third of the primary health complaints recorded.
Dr. Usaid Ahmed, Chief Medical Officer at the HHF’s Shaheen Nagar Health Centre, noted that most infections are usually self-limiting within a week. However, many patients seek hospital admission due to severe symptoms, mistakenly believing that their treatment is ineffective.
In addition to viral infections, HHF processed over 3,000 dengue test samples, most of which returned negative results. Patients with influenza often present high-grade fevers, severe body aches, and headaches, sometimes accompanied by nausea and intermittent coughing.
Mujtaba Hasan Askari, founder of the Helping Hand Foundation, emphasized the importance of fever surveillance during this time of year to monitor disease patterns and take preventative actions. As the monsoon continues, residents are advised to take precautions to safeguard their health.
-Rashmi M
