India usually experiences annual rainfall during June to September, which relieves the scorching heat. Although it brings relief, it also brings an abundance of diseases and infections. The monsoon season has a higher risk of exposure to viruses, bacteria and other infections compared to other seasons. Due to excessive humidity in the air and stagnant water during rainfall, puddles enable microorganisms to grow in these conditions.Also read – Yoga for Anxiety and Stress: Top 5 Asanas for Improving Mental Health | International Yoga Day
Inevitably, these types of diseases have not been diagnosed, leading to morbidity, mortality and further transmission in the community. Getting an early and accurate diagnosis through basic hygiene, preventive measures and proper treatment can keep individuals and communities healthy and protected from infectious diseases. Also read – Want to learn yoga? Try these 5 simple yoga asanas for beginners Expert Dr. Demonstrated by Purnajita Sen.
Shriram Natarajan, Founder, Director and CEO, Molebio Diagnostics shares a detailed note on the types of monsoon infections and how to control them. Read ahead! Also read – Face Yoga: Sharpen your face by trying these facial exercises using a spoon. Watch the video
Types of monsoon infections
The monsoon is the primary breeding season for mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, chickenpox and Zika. India bears a significant burden of mosquito-borne diseases, contributing to 11% of global malaria and 34% of global dengue cases. The best way to prevent these diseases is to use disinfectant nets and mosquito repellent.
The risk of exposure to multiple airborne viral infections such as the common flu, influenza and other viruses that lead to viral fevers, colds, coughs, sore throats, etc. also increases during the monsoon. These are mostly lightweight but can be easily transmitted. People with weakened immune systems, such as senior citizens, people with weakened immune systems and children, become victims of serious illness.
Waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and E and other gastrointestinal infections cause significant illness and can result in significant loss of life. It is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five. Consumption of boiled water, avoiding street food, ensuring personal and environmental hygiene such as hand washing, keeping the surroundings clean and vaccinating children are some of the preventive and precautionary measures that help to protect oneself from waterborne diseases. Leptospirosis is another bacterial disease that is spread during the monsoon due to exposure to contaminated water or manure. If someone is injured, they should make sure they are covered before leaving the house.
Scrub typhus fever is a zoonotic disease spread by the bite of a chigar insect infected with the Orientia sutsugamushi bacteria. It occurs in people exposed to undergrowth areas where rodents live, such as grasslands and dense rainforests. Scrub typhus can be fatal if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. The use of pesticides containing active ingredients has been reported against Chiggers. It is exposed to the skin and clothing to prevent chigger bites, thus preventing disease.
Due to the common overlapping symptoms, it is difficult to distinguish between Kovid-19 and other monsoon diseases. Even moderate or severe cases of Covid-19 should be suspected of bacterial and viral co-infection that do not respond to treatment. Thus, an early differential diagnosis is needed to enable evidence-based and appropriate treatment initiation. Prompt diagnosis helps to avoid predictable treatment and haphazard use of antibiotics and prevents an increase in antibiotic resistance.
Solutions
In the case of Covid-19, molecular instruments such as real-time PCR are the gold standard for testing for infectious diseases. Game-changing innovative solutions like Trunat have ensured universal access to rapid nuclear testing across the healthcare chain, making nuclear testing a regular clinical diagnostics tool.
Trunat facilitates early and accurate diagnosis of all these monsoon diseases and helps in initiating proper treatment on the same day of presentation. Technologies and solutions such as TruNat not only help in better outcomes of the patient but can prevent further spread of the disease, help in better management of the disease and help in eradication of the disease.
