Why That Persistent Fever This Monsoon Might Not Be What You Think
Last Updated:July 15, 2025, 16:47 IST
This monsoon, that lingering fever might not be “just the rain.”
With rising cases of tropical fevers and co-infections, ignoring early symptoms or relying on guesswork could delay care and lead to serious complications.
As the monsoon sweeps across India, it brings with it the yearly surge of seasonal illnesses. What begins as a mild fever or body ache is often dismissed as “just the weather,” but these symptoms could signal something more serious, vector-borne infections like dengue, chikungunya, malaria, or even scrub typhus and leptospirosis.
With symptoms that blur together, fever, fatigue, chills, joint pain, these infections are frequently misread, misdiagnosed, or simply ignored. The common tendency to wait it out or rely on home remedies and over-the-counter medication can delay treatment, an oversight that, in the case of monsoon fevers, may prove dangerous.
Dr. Mahua Kapoor Dasgupta, Director – Medical Affairs (Infectious Diseases), HaystackAnalytics shares all you need to know:
The Overlap That Masks the Risk
Tropical fevers like dengue, chikungunya, typhoid, malaria, leptospirosis, Japanese encephalitis, scrub typhus, and enteric fevers often present with overlapping symptoms, making diagnosis difficult even for experienced clinicians. Many of these diseases are endemic to India and spike during and after the monsoon months of June to October.
In 2024 alone, India reported over 2.3 lakh cases of dengue and more than 2.6 lakh suspected and confirmed cases of chikungunya. While global malaria numbers are declining, India still accounted for nearly 66% of cases in the Southeast Asia region in 2022. Despite such high numbers, many infections remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to their non-specific presentation.
Why Timely Diagnosis Matters
The first 48 to 72 hours of any fever are critical. This window often determines whether the infection can be managed at home or escalates to a hospital admission. In dengue, delayed diagnosis can result in severe bleeding or organ damage. In malaria, waiting too long can lead to cerebral complications. For bacterial infections like leptospirosis or rickettsial fevers, early intervention is key to preventing permanent organ damage.
Empirical treatment—starting medication without identifying the specific pathogen—remains a common practice. However, this approach can be harmful. For instance, using antibiotics for viral infections contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global crisis that makes future infections harder to treat.
A Smarter Way Forward
How do we avoid the risks of delayed treatment and misdiagnosis? The answer lies in timely, accurate diagnostics. Traditional methods like culture, serology, or PCR have limitations in terms of comprehensiveness, early detection, and specificity.
This is where advanced technology like Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) makes a critical difference. NGS can detect multiple bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal pathogens in a single test, directly from a blood sample—successfully overcoming the limitations of conventional methods.
NGS enables clinicians to identify the exact pathogen within 24 hours, even in cases where the infection is hard to diagnose. It provides a comprehensive pathogen profile from a single sample, saving both time and resources.
For example, if a patient presents with fever, chills, and fatigue, NGS can distinguish between dengue, malaria, brucellosis, and other illnesses with similar symptoms. This precision ensures that the correct treatment is started promptly, avoiding the guesswork often seen in viral fever cases.
The Takeaway
This monsoon, that lingering fever might not be “just the rain.” With rising cases of tropical fevers and co-infections, ignoring early symptoms or relying on guesswork could delay care and lead to serious complications.
Advanced diagnostic tools like NGS are providing both patients and doctors the clarity they need quickly and accurately. As seasonal fevers grow more unpredictable, embracing timely, precise diagnostics isn’t just smart medicine it’s essential.
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl…Read More
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl… Read More
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