The Hindu : Front Page : `Measles alert' in Madurai villages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 08, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

`Measles alert' in Madurai villages

Shastry V Mallady

Health Department carries out ring immunisation for children

MADURAI: The Health Department has issued a `measles alert' after a sudden outbreak of this infectious disease in a few villages in the district, following which children are being moved to hospitals for immediate medical attention.

Already 10 children have been affected by measles and some of them were sent to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Thoppur near here. The department has deputed a team of doctors to the affected villages in the last two days.

The Deputy Director of Health Services, S. Shanmugasundaram, said on Friday that the most affected villages were Kannanur, Karadikkal, Vickramangalam and a few other places near Chekkanoorani.

Most of the complaints were related to children below five years of age and treatment was being provided immediately to prevent an epidemic, officials said, adding that children in the affected villages were being administered measles vaccine.

Dr. Shanmugasundaram said prevalence of measles was common during summer and last year also some cases were reported.

The department had taken up `ring immunisation' in villages by which all children would come under surveillance, he said. Doctors at the IDH said Tirupparankundram and Chekkanoorani areas were always vulnerable to measles and chicken pox "and hence the Health Department must give more focus to those places."

Precaution in city

Meanwhile, the City Health Officer of Madurai Corporation, A. Ganesan, said all steps were being taken to ensure that there were no summer-related diseases and surveillance had been stepped up. Health inspectors were regularly visiting several areas and the help of Government Rajaji Hospital was also utilised, Dr. Ganesan said.

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