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Bengaluru: “My sister had dengue in July and now she has again been diagnosed with it. It’s disturbing,” said Asha (name changed), explaining that her sister was admitted to Manipal hospital and discharged after treatment a couple of months ago, but is now again suffering from the mosquito-borne disesase, worrying her family.
Her case is not as rare as one may think as some people do suffer a relapse after a first attack of dengue. “If someone is infected with type 4 dengue virus, he develops immunity to that particular type of virus. But he can get infected again by type 1, 2 or 3. The second infection can be really serious and deadly,” warns Dr Ambanna Gowda, consultant, Internal Medicine and diabetologist, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road.
With 67 new cases of dengue having been reported in the city in September alone, doctors warn that those, who suffered from dengue last year, must take additional precautions, because a second attack can be more dangerous than the first.
“It can happen .I have seen some two such cases in the outpatient department. People can get recurrent dengue. Depends on the kind of mosquito bite. If the dengue was of hemorrhagic variety, the second recurrence can be dangerous,” explains Dr Bhanu Rekha, consultant, Internal Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital Whitefield.
Dr Murali Kumar, Casualty Medical Officer, Chinmaya Mission Hospital (CMH) says there can be a relapse if patients have not taken proper treatment the first time. “Sometimes when patients stop medication or treatment halfway because they feel better, they can have a relapse,” he explains.
Dr Bhanu Rekha advises patients, who have been treated for dengue in the past, to keep themselves hydrated and go for follow- ups to doctors to reduce the chances of a relapse.
