Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Wednesday, May 26, 2004 |
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Kochi
By Our Staff Reporter
KOCHI, MAY 25. The district Health authorities are preparing for a programme for mass eradication of filariasis, along with 11 districts in the State on June 5. About 200 cases of filariasis have been found in the district which has prompted the authorities to participate in the programme. A survey is being undertaken by the health authorities to find the prevalence of the disease. On the basis of a house-to-house symptomatic survey, some parts of the rural areas in the district would be selected where more cases have been reported. Three wards will be chosen at random to conduct a blood test. One ward in the urban area in Kochi Corporation has been identified as a risk area and another in Thripunithura at random has also been identified to conduct blood tests. The authorities have already started the exercise of drawing blood for the test during night between 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. when the microfilaria (undeveloped form of the worm causing filariasis) residing in the blood vessels moves to the peripheral vessels. Microfilaria can remain in the body for five to six years without giving any symptoms and requires the culex mosquito as a vector as well as a support to complete its life cycle to form into adult worms. The time when microfilaria move to the peripheral blood vessels, between 8.30 p.m. to midnight, coincides with period when culex mosquitoes are active, which helps in transmitting microfilaria from one person to another. A dosage of 100 mg (one tablet) of hetrazan (diethyl carbamazeme) for children between two to five years, 200 mg (two tablets) for children aged five to 14 years and 300 mg for those aged 15 years and above has been prescribed by the Health authorities to be taken after food any time on the scheduled date. The medicine is to prevent the transmission of microfilaria from humans to mosquitoes. According to the District Malaria Officer, Sumayya M., the medicine has no side-effects. It is commonly used for de-worming, she added. But for those who have a large number of microfilaria in their blood, it may cause mild temperature and rashes. The symptoms are positive signs of identifying a carrier of microfilaria. The mass eradication programme is expected to destroy 92 to 95 per cent of microfilaria. The complete eradication would take about five years. People need to participate in the programme every year to make it a success, just like the polio eradication programme. The filaria eradication programme was started in Alappuzha, Kozhikode and Kannur districts in 1997. Except for Wayanad, Idukki and Pathanamthitta, the programme is being launched in all other districts along with the 300 other districts identified nationally under the World Health Organisation programme.
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