Monday, Sep 20, 2004
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Kochi
By Our Staff Reporter
KOCHI, SEPT. 19. Medical experts have said that apprehensions over the proposed mass drug administration strategy to contain the spread of filariasis do not have a scientific background. The mass drug administration will be conducted on September 24. Diethyl carbamazine citrate (DEC) is the main drug used to treat filariasis and it is being administered according to the directions of the World Health Organisation, said Indira Murali, Professor of Community Medicine at the Cooperative Medical College.
Proper investigation
According to Dr. Indira, reports of deaths after taking DEC need to be properly investigated. There may be other reasons too, she added. It would not cause any reaction in people who do not have any microfilaria in the blood, said the Deputy District Medical Officer, V.K. Krishnankutty. Although DEC is particularly used in treatment of filaria, it is a deworming drug that could clear some other worms in the body too, he explained. It is also used in treating allergic infections such as esnophilia.
Reactions
Those who have microfilaria would have certain reactions like fever, headache or some allergic reaction. It depends upon the density of microfilaria too, Dr. Krishnankutty said. The programme is being implemented in Alappuzha and Kozhikode since 1995, and in Kannur since 2000, but there have been no adverse reports about the drug so far, he added. But the drug administration in these areas had not reached the whole population of the region, he said. Only three districts - Wayanad, Iddukki and Pathanamthita - have been exempted from the programme since the vector Culex mosquito is rarely found in these hilly areas.
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