Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Fever cases on the rise in Pathanamthitta

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Most of the cases are from Chittar, Pambini and Kulangaravely

(TV23PTCHIKUNGUNYA) INPATIENTS: Patients on the veranda and corridor of the general ward of District Hospital in Kozhencherry.

PATHANAMTHITTA: The number of suspected chikungunya fever cases in Pathanamthitta is on the rise with more patients seeking medical aid at various Government healthcare centres on Tuesday.

According to Health Department sources, the serum examination at the Virology Institute at Vandanam in Alappuzha have confirmed one dengue fever and 29 chikungunya virus infection in the district as on May 12. Most of the confirmed cases are from Chittar, Pambini and Kulangaravely in the eastern hilly tracts.

However, sources said that the number of confirmed chikungunya cases in the district might cross 120 as on Tuesday, with more cases reported from the semi-urban and urban areas of Kozhencherry and Pathanamthitta in the past 10 days. Meanwhile, the health authorities are awaiting results of the serum tests of about 200 samples sent to the Virology Institute. Official records show that as many as 3,500 viral infection cases have been reported from Chittar, Ranni-Perinad, Vadasserikkara, Vechoochira, Koodal, Naranamoozhy, Seethathode etc.

A total of 155 viral fever cases, 17 of them suspected chikungunya infection, were reported at the Primary Health Centre at Ranni-Perinad alone on Tuesday.

Similarly, 120 viral fever cases were reported at the Konni PHC on Tuesday, official sources said.

Doctors are of the opinion that a socio-epidemiological study should be conducted immediately to address the causes of the viral infection in the region.

Lack of syringes

Acute shortage of syringes is a major problem facing the Government healthcare centres in the district.

It is learnt that syringes are out of stock at the District Medical Store for the past few weeks and patients have to buy syringes from outside. Lack of facility for selective isolation of patients with suspected chikungunya virus infection is a major health risk.

Talking to The Hindu, doctors at District Hospital said that it was high time to study whether there was a "co-infection of dengue fever and chikungunya" at least in some cases.

The official machinery is yet to activate an effective vector-control drive, that includes fogging, dewatering of coconut shells in rubber estates etc, in the affected areas.

There are also reports of water collected in abandoned plastic bottles, teacups, etc. becoming safe breeding places for mosquitoes.

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