While the onslaught of dengue and other vector-borne diseases continues unabated, the State, particularly Bengaluru city, is under the grip of viral fever and upper respiratory tract infections. Doctors have attributed this to fluctuations in weather and increased allergen and pollen load.

Hospitals are seeing a number of patients, especially children, with viral fever and lower and upper respiratory tract infections. At least eight out 10 patients suffer from high fever, sore throat, running nose, cough, allergic bronchitis, asthma and middle ear infection.

While K.C. General Hospital is seeing nearly 100 patients with high-grade fever and upper respiratory tract infections daily, Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College Hospital is receiving nearly 250 children with fever, cough and cold. Victoria Hospital is also flooded with patients showing symptoms of bronchial spasm and asthmatic attack.

Chikkanarasa Reddy, professor of paediatrics at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, said most children are reporting high fever, which usually takes four or five days to reduce. “Usually, paediatric fever cases are high this time of year, but the numbers have almost doubled this time,” he said.

At K.C. General Hospital, of the 100 outpatients with the abovesaid symptoms, 10 to 15 require admissions daily, said hospital medical superintendent Mohan Rajanna. “While fever is secondary to respiratory infections in some, most patients are showing up with only fever,” he said.

Doctors in private hospitals too have been seeing a rise in the number of patients with viral fever and upper respiratory tract infections. “Although most have dengue-like symptoms, not all test positive for the vector-borne disease. These patients also report severe body and joint pain. Currently, nearly 70% of the outpatients we get are reporting viral fever and flu-like symptoms,” said S. Manohar, director (Internal Medicine) at Sakra World Hospital.

Sreenivas Murthy, senior consultant (Internal Medicine) at Apollo Hospitals, said some patients are even reporting with H1N1 symptoms.

Advising people to take precautions and stay fit, the doctors said keeping warm and eating food that is cooked properly are key to remaining healthy. Stepping out early in the morning and late in the evening should be avoided. Children and the elderly should not be exposed to the cold weather, they advised.