Monsoon is playing truant with the city but skin infections and other diseases associated with the season are on the rise.

Doctors at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) said hundreds of people are turning up at the health hub with complaints of fungal infection, prickly heat, seborrhoeic dermatitis, boils and encephalitis among other diseases.

Dermatologist and PMCH superintendent Amar Kant Jha Amar said on Monday: “Of the 300 cases I am getting at the outpatient department over the past seven days, 10 per cent are related to fungal infections. The most common of them is athlete’s foot, which causes redness and itch of the affected areas apart from burning sensation and blisters sometimes.”

On athlete’s foot, Amar said: “It is caused by a microscopic fungus that lives on dead tissues of hair and toenails. We prescribe anti-fungal medicines to patients suffering from athlete’s foot. They are advised to wash feet daily with antiseptic soap and wear shoes that allow the feet to breathe. I have been also getting around 25 cases of prickly heat daily. Small red spots appear on the skin, accompanied by a prickling sensation. This condition usually develops in hot and humid weather and at a time when the body’s sweat glands are blocked. Using calamine lotions is advisable to deal with prickly heat.”

The PMCH superintendent is also getting around eight to 10 cases of seborrhoeic dermatitis (an inflammatory condition affecting the scalp) and summer boils. “In seborrhoeic dermatitis, the scalp becomes oily and the resultant dandruff leads to excessive hair loss. Such patients are advised to use-anti-dandruff shampoo,” he said.

The doctors also advise the residents to drink a lot of water and bathe at least twice a day to escape from the skin problems.

Jha said: “One should use a clean handkerchief to wipe sweat, wear clean clothes, avoid exposure to the sun and use an umbrella.”

The health hub has also been receiving many cases of acute encephalitis syndrome. PMCH virologist Vijay Kumar said: “Cleanliness is the key to shield anyone from diseases. Using mosquito nets is must at night, while residents should also try to avoid visiting places where water has been accumulated for a long time.”

At city-based physician Diwakar Tejaswi’s clinic, cases of flu are on the rise. “Earlier, I would get around two flu cases in a week. The figure has gone up to six to seven, and sometimes even 10, in a day. Apart from flu, cases of Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E and jaundice are also common. I get two such cases every day,” he said.

Tejaswi advised: “Those suffering from flu must use handkerchiefs while sneezing, as it can help restrict the spreading of the virus. Flu patients can also get themselves vaccinated. Children and adults can get a vaccine for Rs 1,500, people above 55 years of age with kidney and heart problems, can get a pneumococcal vaccine for around Rs 2,500.”