Delhi summers are brutal in more ways than one. While you're busy battling the heat, a quieter enemy is thriving: bacteria. The combination of 45°C temperatures, contaminated water supply, street food vendors operating without refrigeration, and overworked municipal sewage systems creates the perfect breeding ground for infections that can knock you flat for weeks.
Every year, between April and July, Delhi's hospitals see a predictable surge in three infections: typhoid, hepatitis A (jaundice), and acute gastroenteritis. The tragedy is that all three are entirely preventable and easily treatable — if caught early. The problem? Their early symptoms look exactly like "just a stomach bug," so people ignore them until they're dangerously sick.
Typhoid — The Slow-Burning Fever
Typhoid is caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria, almost always contracted through contaminated water or food. That roadside golgappa with unfiltered water? That's your most likely culprit.
How to Spot It
- The Stepladder Fever: Typhoid has a distinctive pattern. Your fever starts low (99-100°F) and rises a little more each day for about a week until it hits 103-104°F. This "stepladder" pattern is a classic red flag.
- Headache + Stomach Symptoms: Severe headache combined with either constipation OR diarrhoea (typhoid can cause either).
- Loss of Appetite: Complete disinterest in food — unusual for someone with a "regular" fever.
- Coated Tongue: A thick, whitish coating on the tongue with red edges.
The Right Test at the Right Time
Week 1 of fever: Blood Culture test — the gold standard. It detects the actual bacteria in your blood.
Week 2 onward: Widal test — checks for antibodies. Less accurate in Week 1 but useful later.
Quick option: Typhidot IgM — faster results, good for early detection.
Hepatitis A — The Summer Jaundice
Hepatitis A is a viral infection that attacks your liver, spread through contaminated water and food. Unlike Hepatitis B and C (which spread through blood), Hepatitis A is an oral-faecal route infection — meaning poor sanitation and unclean water are the primary villains.
How to Spot It
- Yellow Eyes and Skin: The classic jaundice sign — your liver can't process bilirubin properly.
- Dark Cola-Coloured Urine: One of the earliest signs, often appearing before the yellowing.
- Extreme Fatigue: Not "I'm tired" fatigue — more like "I physically cannot get out of bed" fatigue.
- Nausea and Vomiting: Especially after eating fatty foods — your damaged liver can't produce enough bile to digest fats.
The Right Tests
Liver Function Test (LFT): SGPT and bilirubin will be dramatically elevated.
Hepatitis A IgM Antibody: Confirms it's specifically Hepatitis A and not another cause of jaundice.
Gastroenteritis — "Food Poisoning" That Might Be More
Summer food poisoning in Delhi is so common that people treat it as a rite of passage. "Oh, I had bad chaat." But severe diarrhoea and vomiting for more than 48 hours isn't just "bad chaat" — it can cause dangerous dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and in children and elderly people, it can be life-threatening.
If your symptoms last more than 2 days, or if you see blood/mucus in your stool, get a Stool Routine & Culture test to identify the specific bacteria or parasite causing the infection.
How to Protect Your Family This Summer
- Water: Drink only RO/UV filtered or boiled water. Avoid ice from unknown sources (yes, that includes most restaurants).
- Street Food: We know it's delicious. But in peak summer, that panipuri water sitting in the sun for hours is a bacterial swimming pool.
- Hand Washing: Sounds basic, but washing hands with soap before eating prevents the majority of these infections.
- Hepatitis A Vaccine: It exists, it's safe, and it lasts for years. Ask your doctor about it — especially for kids.
If anyone in your family develops a fever lasting more than 3 days with stomach symptoms this summer, don't wait. BookMyPatho offers a comprehensive Fever Panel (CBC + Widal + Typhidot + LFT + Malaria) with home collection across Delhi NCR. Early detection means faster treatment and a shorter illness.
