Ernakulam on alert as heat fuels fresh fever surge; officials warn against self-medication
Health officials in Ernakulam have urged caution amid a renewed rise in fever cases, with the district reporting the state's highest influenza count along with dengue and leptospirosis.
Health authorities in Ernakulam have urged the public to stay alert and avoid self-medication after a fresh spike in fever cases, including influenza, over recent weeks. The surge has coincided with sharply rising temperatures across the district.
Medical experts caution that the flu season is not yet over. They point to a combination of intense heat, subsequent heavy rain and the festive period as factors that may have created conditions favourable to the spread of disease.
Ernakulam continues to record the highest number of influenza cases in Kerala. According to official figures, 533 influenza cases were reported in the district up to September 11, while the state logged around 1,222 cases during the month.
The district is also grappling with other infections. It has reported 28 confirmed and four suspected cases of leptospirosis, along with 307 suspected and 128 confirmed dengue cases. Three deaths linked to leptospirosis have been recorded.
Rajany Jose, Professor of community medicine and coordinator of the Prevention of Epidemic and Infectious Diseases (PEID) cell at the Government Medical Hospital, Ernakulam, stressed the need for particular care among young children and the elderly. She noted that viruses remain in circulation and that rapidly fluctuating temperatures are compounding the problem, adding that hopes of a decline once the rains ended have not materialised.
Rajeev Jayadevan, convenor of the research cell at the Indian Medical Association's Kerala State unit, said infection rates would not fall merely because the rain has stopped. He observed that the changing climate and the recent festive season may have accelerated the spread of infectious diseases, especially respiratory viruses, and warned that hot weather affects the very young and the elderly most, making hydration essential.
Arun N.M., an internal medicine consultant, noted that the shifting climate may have contributed to increased viral activity. He advised those with infections to avoid public places and to follow basic hygiene measures, such as wearing a mask when infected and steering clear of crowded spaces, to help curb transmission.
Doctors have advised people to seek medical attention if symptoms persist.