Kerala - Alappuzha   

Central team reaches Alappuzha

Staff Reporter

To conduct extensive vector studies

ALAPPUZHA: A high-level team deputed by the Union Government to study the incidence of chikungunya reached here late on Wednesday. It will conduct extensive vector studies and examine the post-chikungunya scenario because the district had reported more than 100 cases of the disease last year.

At a press conference, National Institute of Communicable Diseases Joint Director and Kerala Circle Chief Shaukat Ali said five teams would travel all across Alappuzha to study vector potential and to see if there were any chances of an epidemic, apart from giving tips to local health authorities on how to tackle any such outbreak.

"Alappuzha reported chikungunya last year. This year, however, there has been no problems so far. But we cannot rule out any chances and so we will conduct extensive studies," said Dr. Ali, who is being accompanied by George Jacob and Manjunath, both from the National Institute of Virology.

Dr. Ali called for participation of the public to control the breeding of Aedes mosquito.

District Medical Officer N.N. Murali said post-Chikungunya clinics would soon be set up in various places in the district, particularly those areas which had reported the disease last year. District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan and Kerala State Virology Institute Director Rajan Payyapilly were present.

Call for vector control

Kottayam Staff Reporter writes:

The four-member central team which visited the eastern belt of the district, where viral fever has become rampant, called for effective implementation of vector-control programmes.

The team, which took samples from a large number of patients, said the primary diagnosis was chikungunya. The only effective way to control the spread of the disease was vector control, they said. The rubber plantation belt offered a wide variety of breeding sources.

Visits patients

Jagbir Singh and Sunil Gupta, joint directors, National Institute of Communicable Disease, visited patients and the more affected areas in Parathode and Koottickal areas and collected samples, while another team led by R.L. Sharma, Deputy Director, National Vector-borne Diseases Control Programme, visited the Kanjirapally taluk hospital.

The team, which arrived at Kanjirapally by 10 a.m., later moved to Pathanamthitta district.

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