As families bear the brunt from dengue to influenza, overlapping symptoms create healthcare dilemmas, leading to costly diagnostic tests.
Fever spike grips Bengaluru with nearly 40-50 children — and an almost equal number of adults — visiting hospitals every day. (Wikimedia Commons)
Bengaluru is once again grappling with a widespread fever outbreak. In recent weeks, city hospitals have been inundated with patients battling various illnesses, including dengue, chikungunya, seasonal flu, Influenza A and B, as well as the RSV respiratory virus.
Doctors say that the viral infections are mostly extended ones, with fever persisting for more than five to six days and cough extending even up to 15 days. This is for both children and adults, say doctors.
“There definitely has been a spike in number of people coming to our hospital with various kinds of fever. While cases of dengue and influenza A top the list, both among adults and children, we are also seeing chikungunya, H1N1, and several RSV cases too,” Dr Srinivas G, a physician from Bengaluru, tells South First.
Children and adults are thronging OPDs with temperatures as high as 102-103 degrees, says Dr Gopikrishna G, a paediatrician at Sevakshetra Hospital in Bengaluru.
“My 19-year-old son is suffering from temperature running up to 102, followed by chills, vomiting, and dizziness for the last week. We were told not to take any antibiotics as it is viral fever, but normal paracetamol is not helping either. Once he got it, my husband and I, and our 12-year-old daughter also got the same symptoms,” Trupthi Keshav, a resident of Banashankari in Bengaluru, tells South First.
High fever cases are on the rise in Bengaluru. (Commons)
Doctors explain that along with dengue fever cases, a lot of upper respiratory tract infections are being seen over the last two weeks. It is spreading across families, probably due to the fact that there are no isolation practices in households and some parents even tend to send their children to school, exacerbating the problem.
Dr Satish KS, a senior pulmonologist at Fortis Hospitals on Cunningham Road, tells South First that the increase in Influenza A cases typically becomes noticeable at the onset of the monsoon season, affecting individuals across all age groups.
On an average, 40-50 children and almost an equal number of adults are visiting hospitals in Bengaluru every day.
According to a senior doctor from Victoria Hospital, “There is a wave of viral fevers in the city. There are several non-specific viral fevers, respiratory viruses, which can present as spike in temperatures associated with a lot of body pain, joint pain, weakness, headache, and tiredness in both children and adults.”
Flu-like illnesses are also associated with high-grade fever and patients are showing up with upper respiratory symptoms along with chills.
While the Karnataka Health Department officials have been issuing alerts on the rise of various infections, notably dengue, RSV, Influenza A, and other flu-like illnesses, the confluence of overlapping symptoms among these diseases is posing a significant challenge for clinicians and is a costly burden for people.
Representation pic. Symptoms of adenovirus induced liver damage could be spikes of high fever, abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin and eyes, nausea, vomiting, fatigue. (Wikimedia Commons)
“Common symptoms associated with Influenza A include fever, nasal congestion, a runny nose, throat pain, body aches, headache, and cough,” explains Dr Satish.
However, several other infections like dengue, RSV, and most flu-like illnesses have the same symptoms of high fever, extreme tiredness, body aches, including joint and muscle pain, and persistent coughing.
With such a high degree of symptom overlap, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for doctors to pinpoint the exact cause based on clinical presentation alone.
Speaking to South First, a senior doctor from a private hospital in Jayanagar, who did not want to be named, says, “We are first symptomatically treating for viral infections, in some cases suggesting mild antibiotics too. However, without specific lab tests, making an accurate diagnosis is difficult and we may unfortunately suggest unnecessary tests too.”
This diagnostic dilemma has led to an increased reliance on laboratory tests and screenings, driving up healthcare costs for patients. Multiple tests are often required to rule out each potential infection. These tests, while essential for an accurate diagnosis, can be expensive.
Speaking to South First, Nischal Unnikrishnan, a software engineer from Bengaluru’s Seshadripuram says, “First, I was asked to do regular blood test to see if there is an infection as my fever was not coming down, then I started to cough and that was not coming down so I had to do a chest X-ray. The antibiotics, despite taking two courses, didn’t help my wheezing. Then I was asked to do a culture of my sputum. It turned out I was already antibiotic-resistant to three medications. I ended up spending close to ₹10,000, including consultation and medication charges.”
Sadly, there are many like Unnikrishnan who have been forced to spend a minimum of ₹1,000 for one bout of illness and if it’s viral, then almost all of them at home get infected, leaving them with no option but to repeat the process.
Manjunath S, another resident of Bengaluru, tells South First, “In my family, four people were infected with Influenza A. Almost every house in our area has at least one person with a cold, cough, and fever. My mom was hospitalised as the virus took her to the stage of acute breathless due to pneumonia.”
Dr Satish says that the recommended treatment for Influenza A often involves addressing specific symptoms, such as using paracetamol for fever and pain relief, decongestants for nasal blockage, and cough medicine for a persistent cough.
In high-risk groups, antiviral medications should be considered within the first five days of symptom onset.
“It’s important to note that antibiotics are generally not recommended for treating Influenza A, as it is caused by a virus, not bacteria. Proper symptom management and timely medical consultation are essential in managing Influenza A cases effectively,” he says.
He adds, “The flu vaccine every year will prevent complications.”
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