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Mumbai: Wading through rainwater on the streets of Mumbai may seem like a fun-filled pastime but it can be a serious health hazard, say doctors.
Several cases of monsoon-related diseases like malaria, gastroenteritis, leptospirosis, dengue and viral fever are being reported at hospitals and private clinics, compelling doctors to issue warnings and precautionary measures to the public.
And for those visiting Mumbai during the rainy season, Dr Neera Kewalramani, Deputy Health Director, Epidemiology Cell, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), advises them to protect themselves from mosquito bites, either by using mosquito repellants or by sleeping under mosquito nets.
"People should immediately consult a doctor if there is fever - which can be due to several reasons," she told Gulf News.
Though there is no reason for alarm, she says, constant health warnings to Mumbai's residents are being announced through the media since they do get wet in the rains, wade through rainwater and often eat contaminated roadside food despite being warned not to do so.
Often local residents who consume such food develop a resistance but a newcomer to the city is bound to be affected. "We have seen a lot of people who come to Mumbai enjoy eating 'bhel' and 'pani puri' sold by food vendors on the roadside. This must be avoided," she said.
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