Dengue, chikungunya, malaria: Can you get all three together?
Malaria, dengue, and chikungunya are three types of mosquito-borne-diseases.
All of these diseases have now become major public health concerns in
India, posing an enormous burden to the health system. The problem is
that these diseases are difficult to diagnose because their symptoms are
so similar with fever being a prominent part. So, it can be pretty
difficult, if not impossible, to make a conclusive identification
without laboratory testing. All of these diseases are quite serious,
yet, recent cases show that you can get all three at the same time,
making treatment more complicated.
Earlier, a study published found that dengue was the most common reason for the ICU admission in India. It was followed by scrub typhus, encephalitis, malaria, and bacterial sepsis.
Although ‘triple simultaneous infection’ is rare, researchers have reported two such cases in the medical journals . One of the researchers, told that the first case was of a three-year-old who visited the primary health centre in August 2016. The second such case was diagnosed in a 21-year-old student who visited the centre about a month later. A 55-year-old patient was the third of such case reported in June 2017.
“They all had high fever along with chills, uneasiness, body pain and headache when they visited our primary health centre. They tested positive for malaria, so we started treatment while the results of dengue and chikungunya tests were awaited. To our surprise, they tested positive for both,” said doctors, adding a national action plan is needed to check such infections.
Doctors said while the triple infection is rare, it poses a diagnostic dilemma and higher risk of morbidity as well.
A report stated the June 2017 case at the hospital required intensive treatment with "intravenous artesunate (medication for malaria), ceftriaxone (antibiotic), pantocid (proton-pump inhibitor), pacimol, emset, mucaine gel application for oral ulcers and plenty of intravenous dextrose, ringer lactate and dextrose normal saline during hospital stay.
Experts stressed the importance of educating doctors about the increased risk of triple concurrent infections for timely diagnosis.
Although these diseases have almost identical manifestations, it is important to differentiate them for proper treatment.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It is caused by Plasmodium, a single-celled parasite often transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Dengue and chikungunya are transmitted by Aedes aegypti.
Earlier, a study published found that dengue was the most common reason for the ICU admission in India. It was followed by scrub typhus, encephalitis, malaria, and bacterial sepsis.
Although ‘triple simultaneous infection’ is rare, researchers have reported two such cases in the medical journals . One of the researchers, told that the first case was of a three-year-old who visited the primary health centre in August 2016. The second such case was diagnosed in a 21-year-old student who visited the centre about a month later. A 55-year-old patient was the third of such case reported in June 2017.
“They all had high fever along with chills, uneasiness, body pain and headache when they visited our primary health centre. They tested positive for malaria, so we started treatment while the results of dengue and chikungunya tests were awaited. To our surprise, they tested positive for both,” said doctors, adding a national action plan is needed to check such infections.
Doctors said while the triple infection is rare, it poses a diagnostic dilemma and higher risk of morbidity as well.
A report stated the June 2017 case at the hospital required intensive treatment with "intravenous artesunate (medication for malaria), ceftriaxone (antibiotic), pantocid (proton-pump inhibitor), pacimol, emset, mucaine gel application for oral ulcers and plenty of intravenous dextrose, ringer lactate and dextrose normal saline during hospital stay.
Experts stressed the importance of educating doctors about the increased risk of triple concurrent infections for timely diagnosis.
Although these diseases have almost identical manifestations, it is important to differentiate them for proper treatment.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It is caused by Plasmodium, a single-celled parasite often transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Dengue and chikungunya are transmitted by Aedes aegypti.
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Labels: antibiotic, chikungunya, dengue, intravenous, malaria, vector borne
posted by G S Iyer at 10:50 PM
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