Post-monsoon fever outbreak kills over 100 in Indian state
ABC News
Officials say infections following monsoon rains have led to a fever outbreak in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state, killing at least 114 people in the past three weeks
LUCKNOW, India -- Infections following monsoon rains have led to a fever outbreak in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state, killing at least 114 people in the past three weeks, health officials said Wednesday.
The state’s Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh told The Associated Press that most cases were caused by dengue, a seasonal viral infection spread by mosquitoes, followed by leptospirosis, scrub typhus, and malaria.
Leptospirosis and scrub typhus are bacterial infections, while malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. They typically spike after the rainy season in India.
Singh said the dengue cases were due to a virulent strain called "D2,” which has been detected in some of the state's districts in a sample survey carried out by a team of the Indian Council of Medical Research.