The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Special screening mooted

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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Special screening mooted

C. Maya

Steps to tackle malaria, filariasis at migrant labour camps

Migrant labourers are asymptomatic carriers
No mechanism for urban disease surveillance

Thiruvananthapuram: Public health experts have mooted a special health screening and disease surveillance strategy around migrant labour camps in the State to prevent the threat of diseases like malaria and filariasis re-establishing in the State.

Increasing import of labour from Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal into the State by the construction sector has been changing the State’s epidemiology, resulting in frequent indigenous outbreaks of malaria and filariasis in recent times from districts where there is a boom in construction activity.

Exposure to disease

“We have so far managed to contain malaria and filariasis very well and 98 per cent of the cases of malaria reported in the State and those imported from other States. Most labourers coming from Bihar or Orissa, would be partially immune to malaria because of repeated exposure to the disease and partial treatment. They remain as asymptomatic carriers of malaria-causing organism.

“Local transmission of the disease happens easily as we have a high density of the vector Anopheles mosquitoes here,” a senior health official said.

The Health Department became aware of this new threat linked to migrant labour when a large outbreak of malaria and fialriasis in Thrissur recently was traced to a migrant labour camp. Thrissur and Ernakulam are the two districts where the population of migrant labourers have crossed a lakh, according to sources.

In Thiruvananthapuram, the department had moved in fast last year to check an outbreak of malaria and filariasis among migrant labourers who had been engaged for the work related to airport development at Chaka.

Last week, public health experts and entomologists investigating a major dengue outbreak on the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College campus found that the epicentre of the outbreak was one of the construction sites there.

They also found that several labourers working on the construction site were also down with fever.

The heavy density of dengue-causing Aedes species as well as the urban malarial vector, Anopheles Stephensi, around the construction site sent alarm bells ringing.

“A malarial outbreak on the heels of a dengue outbreak could be devastating. Hence we ordered an immediate blood smear survey among the 150-odd migrant labourers there to test for malaria and filariasis.

“The survey results are not yet out but we need this kind of screening in all places where there is a concentration of migrant labour,” points out T. Dilip, State Entomologist.

The Health Department does not have a mechanism to approach the large population of migrant labourers on a regular basis and screen them. At present, health workers visit labour camps only if any disease is reported there.

Public health experts point out that the Health Department needs to work closely with the Labour Department and evolve a strategy so that migrant labourers are presented for health screening and a blood smear test as soon as they reach the State.

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