Scorching heat worsens chicken pox outbreak
Saturday, 24 April 2010
The recent outbreak of chicken pox has taken on an epidemic form due to scorching heat sweeping across the country.
According to the city's hospital sources, the number of people infected with pox is mounting by the day and the doctors are overwhelmed due to lack of vaccines and other facilities, reports bdnews24.com.
The affected people are reportedly crowding into different hospitals in the city every day and the specialists warned the situation could get worse if the high temperature persists.
Because of lack of proper facilities patients are being shifted from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital to Mohakhali Contagious Disease Hospital.
Dr Ehsan Kader, Assistant professor of Salimullah Medical College, told the news agency that patients were crowding into the outdoor of the hospital on a daily basis.
He said the situation was getting worse because the virus responsible for chicken pox, Varicella-Zoster, has become more active as the temperature is rising.
Dr Ehsan said the patients were not admitted into the hospital until infection develops after virus attack.
"The only remedy of the disease is extensive care. The patients need to be isolated and kept under treatment as per physicians' guidance," Dr Ehsan said.
He suggested that patients could take Varicell, a medicine, for temporary relief.
"Children, especially under 12, fall prey to the virus but the adults could also be affected".
"The incidence of virus infection soars usually from April to May. The number of infections may rise further until there is rainfall," Ehsan said.
Patients usually recover from the disease within two weeks and in most cases, the virus attacks a person once in a lifetime, Dr Ehsan said.
Chicken pox vaccine could prevent the virus attack but the public hospitals do not have adequate supply of the vaccine, Ehsan said.
According to the city's hospital sources, the number of people infected with pox is mounting by the day and the doctors are overwhelmed due to lack of vaccines and other facilities, reports bdnews24.com.
The affected people are reportedly crowding into different hospitals in the city every day and the specialists warned the situation could get worse if the high temperature persists.
Because of lack of proper facilities patients are being shifted from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital to Mohakhali Contagious Disease Hospital.
Dr Ehsan Kader, Assistant professor of Salimullah Medical College, told the news agency that patients were crowding into the outdoor of the hospital on a daily basis.
He said the situation was getting worse because the virus responsible for chicken pox, Varicella-Zoster, has become more active as the temperature is rising.
Dr Ehsan said the patients were not admitted into the hospital until infection develops after virus attack.
"The only remedy of the disease is extensive care. The patients need to be isolated and kept under treatment as per physicians' guidance," Dr Ehsan said.
He suggested that patients could take Varicell, a medicine, for temporary relief.
"Children, especially under 12, fall prey to the virus but the adults could also be affected".
"The incidence of virus infection soars usually from April to May. The number of infections may rise further until there is rainfall," Ehsan said.
Patients usually recover from the disease within two weeks and in most cases, the virus attacks a person once in a lifetime, Dr Ehsan said.
Chicken pox vaccine could prevent the virus attack but the public hospitals do not have adequate supply of the vaccine, Ehsan said.