Karnataka   

Outbreak of malaria in Lambani hamlet

FOR TESTING: A nurse drawing a blood sample from a woman suspected to be suffering from malaria at a temporary medical camp at Aheri tanda, a Lambani habitation in Bijapur district on Wednesday.

AHERI TANDA (BIJAPUR DISTRICT): For the people of Lambani hamlet here, this Deepavali is not an occasion to celebrate because of a suspected malarial attack and the series of deaths that followed in the last few days.

Two or three persons in every household in this village, which has a population of 1,700, are said to be suffering from malaria.

Though the symptoms had been surfacing intermittently since August, it had become epidemic in the last two weeks. According to the villagers, nine persons, including three children, have died of malaria so far.

Dharmu Jemlu Jadav (40), the first victim, died at a private hospital in the first week of October.

After that there was a brief pause.

Since October 26, eight people have died of the disease, said Sanju Jadav, the village leader and president of Shreevitthal Yuvak Manda, a youth organisation.

According to him, those who died of malaria were Daku Ramesh Rathod (10), Sunita Madu Rathod (6), Gangaram Kasnu Jadav (30), Jeevlabayi Lalsingh Jadav (65), Donchu Keeru Chavan (60) and his wife Ranibayi (54), Sheelabayi Neelu Pawar (70) and Sulochana Ashok Rathod (4).

Initially, the Health Department did not take the issue seriously as all the blood samples tested negative for malaria, allegedly because of a faulty test at the primary health centre (PHC) of Honnutagi.

The department swung into action on Thursday following reports of deaths. However, officials refused to attribute them to malaria.

The tanda school has been converted into a temporary hospital, where over 200 patients have been treated so far. This is in addition to around 150 persons admitted to the district hospital with suspected malaria.

Also, a number of patients have undergone treatment in private hospitals.

According to L.S. Lakkannavar, District Malaria Officer, as many as 1,462 blood samples have been collected, and out of them, 172 had tested positive for malaria.

Because of the heavy rain this year, water had stagnated in and around the tanda, creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Anti-larval chemicals had been sprayed and larva-eating fish (gambufia variety) had been released into the water bodies.

On the reported deaths, Mr. Lakkannavar asserted that none of them was due to malaria. Some of them died due to old age and some due to renal failure, he said.

However, villagers said that the department doctors were not ready accept the “fact”, because of the fear that the mass causalities would cost them their jobs. They did not take the matter seriously though Labnthe villagers had been complaining about the disease for weeks, they alleged.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports say that the blood samples tested earlier in Honnutagi PHC have been destroyed.

As per norms, the tested blood samples should be preserved for six months for re-examination.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner V.B. Patil told The Hindu that he had ordered suspension of Savita Dyapur, a laboratory technician attached to the Honnutagi PHC, for dereliction of duty. Sources said that on Wednesday, a two-member team from the Union Health Department’s regional centre for malaria and filaria, Bangalore, arrived in Bijapur to take stock of the situation.

The team members had asked for blood slides for cross-verification, the sources added.

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