Kerala - Kochi   

Experts confirm chikungunya outbreak in Lakshadweep

KOCHI: The viral epidemic that has hit Kadmat in Lakshadweep is chikungunya, said Dr. M.K. Shoukath Ali, joint director of the Kozhikode branch of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases.

“Clinical evidence shows that it is chikungunya,” he told TheHindu. Dr. Ali, whose team of experts, has been camping in Lakshadweep, however, said that lab tests had to confirm this.

He said the administration had been advised to launch anti-vector activities across the ten inhabited islands in Lakshadweep, which has 36 islands.

Since the vector indices were very high, long-term vector surveillance was also necessary. Dr. Ali feels that since the islanders travel to Kochi, Kozhikode and Mangalore for shopping and medical care, they must have contracted the virus from any of these cities.

Nearly three-fourths of the population of Kadmat has been hit, but the outbreak has now been contained, he said.

The viral disease has spread to Amini where over 100 persons have been down with fever.

Dr. Ashraf, medical superintendent of Indira Gandhi Hospital, Kavaratti, said a few isolated cases of fever had been found in Kavaratti too.

However, it did not necessarily mean that fever had spread to the island.

Since Kavaratti is the headquarters town, people from other islands visit there frequently and hence those affected might have come from other islands, he said.

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

Stories in this Section

Kochi airport set to expand its wings
Anticipatory bail granted
Water supply scheme
Naval ships to have CCTVs
Government indebted to cleaners, says Sarma
Plastic ban evokes mixed response
Special drive planned
‘Expel KC(J)’
Speed Post facility
Experts confirm chikungunya outbreak in Lakshadweep
Survey for oceanarium completed
Kochi Today

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