Dengue
A 2023 report from the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control recorded over 289,000 dengue cases across India in a single year, with the sharpest spikes running from July through October. The fever that arrives with it, sudden, high, accompanied by pain behind the eyes and aching joints, is easy to mistake for a bad flu. The danger is in the platelet count, which can drop fast and without obvious external signs. Rashes may appear late or not at all. The window between "probably just a viral" and a hospital admission can be under 48 hours. Any fever above 102°F that holds for more than two days during the monsoon season warrants a blood test, not a paracetamol and a wait.
