Bangalore: The sudden drop in temperature in the city has brought its share of infections with it. Winter has made an early entry and the cool breeze is causing viral infections, fever and cold.

"The cold weather has started from the last 15 days and we have been seeing at least 20 to 30 cases of viral flu and respiratory tract infections such as winter bronchitis".

Those who step out in the early morning and late evening are exposed to the cold weather and are more likely to catch a viral infection," said K.R. Ravindra from the Department of Medicine in Victoria Hospital.

He said apart from fever and cold that was common during this season, bronchial spasms and asthmatic attacks get aggravated because of the cold weather.

He said that children and the elderly were more vulnerable to infections during winter and special care should be taken to keep them warm and avoid exposing them to the cool breeze.

Most people affected by the "winter infections" had symptoms such as running nose, body pain, headache, sore throat, fever for three days and cough and in some cases wheezing.

According to Shivananda, Director of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, if common cold and fever were not controlled in children it might lead to complications such as pneumonia.

According to worldwide estimates, two children are lost to pneumonia every minute.

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