Dengue hits family: Man dies; wife, child test positive

BMC 'confirming' cause of death; daughter's condition critical, say docs

A 30-year old man from Malad succumbed to dengue on Wednesday evening, even as his wife and four-year-old daughter were admitted to a city hospital after testing positive for the ailment. Financial accountant Mohammad Jafri tested positive last week after persistent fever did not subside. He was buried on Thursday.

"We had admitted him to a clinic in Malad after his fever did not subside. After testing positive for dengue, he was put on medication. We thought that like others, he would recover. However, on Wednesday morning his condition rapidly deteriorated and he had to be shifted to another hospital," said Jafri's sister.

Jafri, along with his wife and daughter, was then admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH) on Wednesday morning. "When he came to the hospital, Jafri was already in a critical condition. He had suffered from a dengue shock syndrome and despite our best efforts, we could not save him. He died of multiple organ failure," said Dr Ram Narain, medical director of KDAH.

Hearing the news of Jafri's death, his wife got herself discharged against medical advice while the daughter remained in a critical condition in the paediatric ICU. "The child's condition is serious and she is under observation. The wife had milder symptoms, though we would advise her to be readmitted to avoid relapse or aggravation," Narain said. The couple also has two sons, aged six and two.

While there have been suspected dengue deaths, the BMC has confirmed only three deaths this year and over 800 positive cases. The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the BMC to reply to a PIL filed by NGO HELP Foundation regarding anti-dengue measures in the city.

"Investigations are on to confirm whether the death was due to dengue. We have been working on our anti-dengue campaigns and figures have also come down substantially. We are ready to provide all information necessary," said Arun Bamne, executive health officer of BMC.

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