A 25-year-old youth, who was admitted to Sion Hospital with leptospirosis on July 21, finally succumbed to the disease six days later. His was the first case of leptospirosis reported in the city for this year.
Dr Mangla Gomare, chief epidemologist of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said that the victim was a resident of Dharavi, and often came into contact with dirty rainwater.
However, as far as the statistics for this year are concerned, fever and malaria seem comparatively less common than in 2012. Gastroenteritis and hepatitis are significantly more common. Gastroenteritis has increased from 1,652 cases in 2012 to 2,481 this year. Cholera has increased to 40 cases, from none in 2012.
“While we seem to have curbed many monsoon ailments, including H1N1, of which we have had just one case, in comparison with 151 last year, gastroenteritis is on the rise, and cholera has appeared only this year,” said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.
Of the 40 cases of cholera, most have come from the E ward, Byculla, reporting eight cases, and from G South ward, Elphinstone, reporting six. “Fortunately, there is no one particular area with an excessive number of cholera cases. Byculla has eight, and G south has six, the rest have reported sporadic cases,” said Mhaiskar.