India, Aug. 25 -- The monsoon rain may be soothing to your eyes and mind, but the season requires extra care and caution. What makes it worse? Festive gatherings at this time of the year when the revelry around events such as Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja attract crowds. Doctors say hospitals and clinics observe a dramatic rise in viral fevers and infections during monsoon and the festive season.

Viral fevers such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenoviral infections, and viral gastroenteritis, increase during the rainy season, says Dr C.C. Nair Physician/Internal Medicine, MD, FCPS, Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai.

"These spread rapidly in wet weather, since viruses survive longer on surfaces and in droplets. Seasonal patt...