Health: Monsoons may trigger brain infections in Indians living in coastal areas

Children and the elderly living in coastal and rice belt regions of India are highly vulnerable for viral encephalitis and other brain infections during monsoon said a neurologist at Amrita Hospital FaridabadThe experts cited high humidity and increased mosquito breeding behind the increased riskA brain infection also known as encephalitis occurs when the brain experiences severe inflammation It causes damage to brain tissues potentially causing a range of neurological symptomsldquoBrain infections can be of several types like viral bacterial tubercular fungal or protozoal The most common symptoms of brain infections include fever headache vomiting seizures and altered consciousnessrdquo said Dr Sanjay Pandey HoD Neurology and Stroke Medicine at Amrita Hospital FaridabadHe stated that the weaker immune systems in children and senior citizens make them more prone to such infectionsBrain infections which are relatively rare in developed countries remain a significant public health issue in South Asian nations like IndiaThe incidence of brain infections spikes during the monsoon season due to favourable conditions for mosquito breeding which are vectors for several viral infections such as dengue and Japanese encephalitisA recent study published in the Lancet Global Health showed that coastal regions such as Karnataka and Orissa as well as Assam and Tripura and rice belts like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are endemic zones for viral encephalitis in IndiaDr Pandey advised parents to be vigilant for ldquosymptoms such as rashes and loss of consciousness in their children during this seasonrdquoEarly intervention is crucial he said noting that ldquoif not treated timely viral encephalitis can pave the way for parkinsonism dystonia and tremorrdquoPreventing mosquito breeding and protecting against mosquito bites are essential steps the doctor saidOn treatments the doctor said it depends on the type and cause of the infection While bacterial infections are typically treated with antibiotics viral infections like Japanese encephalitis and dengue require antiviral drugs A prolonged course of antituberculosis drugs is needed to treat a tubercular brain infectionldquoFungal infections are treated with antifungal medications Supportive care including antiseizure drugs corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and hospitalisation is often necessaryrdquo Dr Pandey said He added that advanced cas es might require intensive care and surgical interventionsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever