A14-year-old boy from Mumbai’s Kurla has died after being simultaneously infected with dengue, malaria and leptospirosis. A shocking detail was revealed in his medical history that despite being affected by three monsoon ailments, the boy had sought treatment from a local faith healer for nearly a week before approaching a hospital.
According to a report in Times of India, the teenager from Kurla (west) sought medical attention at Kasturba Hospital on August 14 with fever and jaundice when his situation did not improve after ‘treatment’ from faith healer.
At Kasturba, a dengue NS1 test came positive, as did a malaria test. To the surprise of the medical team, an additional test confirmed he also had leptospirosis, the report stated.
The 14-year-old’s condition started deteriorating as his creatinine levels rose and he developed breathing difficulties. Soon after he was shifted to Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central, where he succumbed in ICU.
All the three monsoon ailments — malaria, dengue and leptospirosis — led to an acute respiratory distress. The boy was also placed on a ventilator in BYL Nair Hospital but he passed away in three days.
The TOI report quoted Dr Girish Rajadhyaksha, professor and unit head of medicine, as saying that they not only tried to manage his raging symptoms and multi-organ failure but also initiated treatment to combat the infections.