Mumbai teen contracts malaria, leptospirosis, and dengue simultaneously, tragically passes away: Report

Mumbai, August 31: In a tragic and unusual case, a 14-year-old boy residing in Kurla (west), Mumbai, succumbed to a rare combination of monsoon ailments—dengue, malaria, and leptospirosis—all striking simultaneously. Despite the dedicated efforts of the medical team, the young patient's condition proved too complex to overcome.

The teenager initially sought medical attention on August 14 at Kasturba Hospital due to fever and jaundice. Medical records revealed that he had initially consulted a local faith healer for nearly a week before seeking professional medical help.

Tests conducted upon his admission to Kasturba Hospital confirmed the presence of both dengue NS1 and malaria. To the astonishment of the medical team, an additional test detected the occurrence of leptospirosis as well. Subsequently, he was transferred to Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central.

The boy's condition worsened, leading to severe lung complications and acute respiratory distress. Despite being placed on a ventilator at BYL Nair Hospital, he passed away within three days.

Doctors noted that a delay in seeking medical treatment could have contributed to the tragic outcome.

Dr. Girish Rajadhyaksha, Professor and Unit Head of Medicine, explained that efforts were made not only to manage the severe symptoms and multi-organ failure but also to address the concurrent infections.

While rare, the simultaneous contraction of all three diseases is possible. "Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can result from wading through waterlogged areas, whereas both dengue and malaria are transmitted by mosquito bites, with all three currently prevalent in the city. Although extremely unusual, being infected by all three at once is not impossible," stated Dr. Rajadhyaksha. He recalled encountering only 2-3 instances of such triple infections in his entire career.

The doctor also emphasized that timely medical intervention could have made a difference. "There is a possibility he had other autoimmune conditions that we aren't aware of," he added.

City doctors noted that while leptospirosis cases have decreased, dengue and malaria are on the rise. BMC statistics released indicated an upsurge in both malaria and dengue cases for August. Malaria cases rose to 959 from 721 in July and 676 in June. Similarly, dengue cases increased to 742 from 685 in July and 353 in June. Leptospirosis cases dropped from 413 in July to 265 in August.

Dr. Hemant Thacker, a physician, pointed out that while malaria cases are generally mild, dengue cases involve fluctuations in platelet counts. "But overall severity and complications have been similar to any other year," he noted.

Presently, the majority of monsoon-related admissions are attributed to dengue cases.

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