The Hindu : Two more malaria cases reported

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 26, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Two more malaria cases reported

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 25. Two more cases of malaria were confirmed in the district, while seven more persons suspected of contracting the disease were admitted to the Valiathura Government dispensary on Wednesday.

Of the two confirmed malaria cases, one is a case of`imported' malaria, reported from Kallar in the suburbs. The total number of fresh malaria cases reported from the district this year is 43.

Of this, six persons are under treatment at the special malaria ward at the General Hospital.

At the Valiathura Government dispensary, five persons who were earlier confirmed of having contracted malaria are undergoing treatment, apart from the seven suspected cases admitted today.

Meanwhile, the district health administration is organising eradication programmes on a war footing in the coastal areas.

About 50 junior health inspectors and three lab technicians have been additionally deployed in the Valiathura area to help in the eradication programme.

At present, 37 health squads, which include health workers and members of Kudumbasree, Trivandrum Social Service Society and other voluntary organisations, are operating at Valiathura for organising vector control and source reduction activities.

The health inspectors and the squad members will make door-to-door visits to conduct fever survey, collect blood samples and give awareness on waste disposal and vector control activities. The district medical administration has arranged ambulance facility in Valiathura for nighttime emergencies.

Residual indoor spraying activities and fogging are being carried out on a regular basis.

The DMO, in an official release, said that those who were down with fever after recent travels outside the State should immediately subject themselves to blood tests to rule out malaria.

Those afflicted with fever should seek medical advice before taking any medicines and in case malaria is confirmed, a full course of medicine should be taken, he said.

The Corporation authorities too have augmented preventive measures against malaria.

Sanitation and vector control activities have been intensified in all 81 wards in the Corporation, with special concentration in Valiathura, Beemapally, Poonthura, Shanghumugham and Vettucaud wards.

Spraying activities have been intensified in Poonthura, Kuzhivilakam, Valiathura, N.S. Depot, Sewage Farm, Suleiman Street, Vallakkadavu, Puthenpalam, Joosa Street, St. Mary's and Library Road areas. Several fogging machines too have been deployed in these areas.

The release said people should desist from disposing of waste carelessly and wastewater should not be allowed to stagnate around houses. Netting of open wells and chlorination of wells is also on. Food is being distributed to all in-patients at the Valiathra dispensary, by the Lions Club.

Meanwhile, the NICD team has postponed its visit, according to Health Department officials.

Dengue fever

An eight-year-old girl from Amboori who has been admitted to the SAT Hospital here has been diagnosed as having dengue fever.

Reports of dengue fever have been coming in from various parts of the district in the past two months. From January this year, a total of 43 cases of dengue have been reported from the district.

Health officials said that an inter-epidemic management programme has been launched in all primary health centres in the district and that 2,000 health promotion teams have been deployed for creating awareness on source reduction techniques for vector control.

Vector studies are being organised on a regular basis to identify high-risk areas.

An earlier study conducted by the district medical administration in August last year had identified 19 'high-risk' and three 'moderate- risk' areas for dengue fever, which is transmitted by the aedes species of mosquitoes.

The areas with high vector presence included city locations such as Thycaud, Vanchiyoor, Central Prison in Poojappura, Kunnukuzhy and Gowreesapattom as well as contiguous urban-rural zones such as Thozhuvancode, Vattiyoorkavu, Vellanad, Nemom and Vizhinjam.

The other risk-areas in the district for dengue were Arasu Parambu (Nedumangad), Kanchira (Kanyakulangara), Cheeranikkara (Vembayam), Sisilipuram (Vizhinjam), Parasuvakkal, Kottukal, Anad, Manamboor, Russelpuram and Oorottumbalam.

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