The Hindu : Two more malaria cases reported

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Two more malaria cases reported

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. Feb. 21. Two more cases of malaria were reported from the city and suburbs today, taking the total number of persons infected with the disease this month to 23.

One case was reported from the Valiathura area and the other from Aruvikkara. According to officials of the Department of Health, the latter is a case of `imported malaria', the person having contracted the disease during a recent visit to Tripura. This type of malaria is caused by the organism `plasmodium vivax', sources said.

In the case of a woman from Kazhakkoottam, admitted to the Sree Chithra Tirunal Medical Centre with high fever, doctors are yet to confirm a malarial infection.

Much of the activities to contain the disease are now focussed on the Kuzhivilakom-Kochuthope area in Valiathura.

"The vast majority of the cases have been reported from the area between the airport and the Valiathura Bridge. The elimination of adult Anopheles mosquitoes in the Valiathura area has been largely successful because of indoor residual spraying of synthetic Pyrethroid," the District Malaria Officer, Unnikrishnan, told The Hindu , today.

The Corporation has intensified its fogging operations in the area. According to the Corporation's Health Officer, Jayalakshmi, a vehicle-mounted fogging machine and two hand-held machines were pressed into service in the Valiathura area. The covering of open wells by nets would commence soon.

The local body has also tied up with the Kudumbashree unit at Valiathura to distribute gruel to the inmates of the Government dispensary, there. As part of this, rice was distributed to the patients today. The Corporation would provide the necessary funds for this, she said.

Typhoid detected

Meanwhile, one of the nine sub-inspector trainees of the Police Training College (PTC), who was admitted to the Infectious Diseases Department of the Medical College Hospital on Friday night, has been diagnosed with Typhoid.

In all, 21 trainees had been hospitalised on Friday with high fever. Of these, nine were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Department. Eight trainees were later discharged after preliminary investigations.

Training suspended

The training of sub-inspector cadets has been suspended in the Police Training College (PTC) for one week, after several trainees came down with fever. The DIG (Training), Padmakumar, said the cadets had been asked to report on February 29.

Mr. Padmakumar said that it had been confirmed that one cadet had contracted dengue fever. "Since they live in close proximity in the barracks, it was decided to suspend training for a week," he said. Meanwhile, Corporation and Health Department officials visited the college to take anti-vector measures.

The barracks were fumigated and insecticide sprayed to keep the mosquito menace under check.

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