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Wednesday, Sep 17, 2008
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Fever cases under surveillance

K.V. Prasad

File Photo: M. Periasamy

Preventive measures: A sanitary worker of the Coimbatore Corporation carries out fogging at a housing unit at Ammankulam as part of a drive against dengue and malaria. –

COIMBATORE: Public health officials are carrying out a surveillance of fever cases in all primary health centres in the Coimbatore Health Unit District to determine whether there are cases of malaria, dengue or viral fever, according to Deputy Director of Health Services R.T. Porkai Pandian.

“We are also monitoring fever cases in all government hospitals, including the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital,” Dr. Porkai Pandian told The Hindu on Thursday.

Instead of limiting the health machinery’s action to just tackling a spurt in cases, a sustained vigil is being maintained as Coimbatore is known for sporadic dengue cases.

In the past, such cases were reported from urban and semi-urban pockets where freshwater stagnates in discarded coconut shells or tyres or drinking water is stored in open containers.

Flavivirus, which causes dengue, is transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are also called vectors because they carry the virus and breed in stagnant freshwater.

The health officials said 78 health inspectors were carrying out the surveillance. “One per cent of outpatients at any given time will constitute fever cases,” he said. “But, if a particular locality reports 10 to 15 cases of fever, their blood serum samples are collected and a malaria test done immediately at primary health centres. Tests for dengue or leptospirosis are also done using the rapid method,” he said.

If dengue or leptospirosis tests results were positive, the samples were sent to Chennai for a more detailed test. If there was a rise in the number of cases, a medical officer, health inspectors and village health nurses would be sent to such areas to screen people and sensitise them on management and prevention of diseases. “The surveillance, so far, has not revealed any outbreak or even a spurt in vector-borne diseases,” he said. Health officials were also carrying out screening in schools every Thursday.

As per an annual action plan, screening was being done twice or thrice a month in each school.

While the doctors screen students, health workers educate the teachers on elimination of breeding spaces for mosquitoes.

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