Kerala - Alappuzha   

5 chikungunya cases confirmed in Alappuzha

Staff Reporter

The VectorTrail Army team visits hospitals in districts; 2 cases in Thrissur

DRIVING AWAY DISEASE: Sanitation programme being taken up in front of the Corporation Stadium in Thrissur on Tuesday.

ALAPPUZHA: A 10-member medical surveillance team from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, which arrived here on Monday night visited Government Hospitals, healthcare centres and several households in Mavelikara and Haripad from where viral fever and chikungunya cases were reported on Tuesday.

The team led by virologist Dr. Col. Satish Kumar, epidemiologist Dr. Lt. Col. Rajesh Kunwal and entomologist Dr. Reena Tilak first interacted with persons who were admitted to the Haripad Government Hospital with symptoms of chikungunya. They also collected mosquito samples from the area. The team, accompanied by District Medical Officer N.N. Murali and other district Health officials, later visited homes of people who were diagnosed with chikungunya last year and collected their blood samples as well.

The team members visited Government health centres at Mavelikara and Pulinkunnu and observed the Dry Day activities that were organised by the district medical authorities in various places. The team, which left for Kottayam in the afternoon, returned to Alappuzha in the evening. It will visit the State Virology Institute, Alappuzha and hospitals at Cherthala and Muhamma on Wednesday before leaving for Pathanamthitta.

Meanwhile, five new cases of chikungunya were confirmed in the district. These were from Muhamma, Edathua, Haripad, Pulinkunnu and Mannancherry. The total number of people diagnosed with chikungunya in Alappuzha now stands at 13.

The number of fever cases also continued to rise with 942 fresh viral fever cases reported from across the district on Tuesday. Of these, 94 people were admitted to various hospitals while seven were suspected to have chikungunya. Blood samples of these will be sent to the Virology Institute for analysis, Dr. Murali said.

Thuravoor reported 108 cases of fever on Tuesday while Kayamkulam reported 79 cases. Thycautussery had 42 cases while the Alappuzha district hospital had 40 cases.

An expert team from the Union Government is expected to reach Alappuzha late on Tuesday, district officials said.

Scene in Thrissur

Thrissur Staff Reporter adds: As many as 1,451 persons were treated for viral fever in various hospitals in the district on Tuesday. Of them, 52 were admitted to hospitals. A case each of leptospirosis, typhoid, viral hepatitis A and hepatitis B were reported on Tuesday.

In all, 89 patients were treated for diarrhoea. Of them, three were admitted to hospitals. A case of suspected chikungunya was reported on Tuesday.

In all, 8,661 cases of viral fever (616 patients were admitted to hospitals), 797 cases of diarrhoea (158 patients were admitted), six cases of Dengue fever, five cases of malaria, 11 cases of suspected chikungunya, and two cases each of leptospirosis and typhoid have been reported in the district since June 1.

Two cases of chikungunya have been confirmed during this period.

The district administration implemented a cleanliness drive on Tuesday. College students, members of Kudumbashree units and youth clubs affiliated to the Nehru Yuva Kendra, members of the Kerala Police Academy and health officials took part in the vector control programme.

District Collector M. Beena and Additional District Magistrate P. M. Francis led the cleanliness drive in the Collectorate. Educational institutions and Government offices cleaned up their premises.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

5 chikungunya cases confirmed in Alappuzha

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu