VIRAL FEVER SPREADING IN KOLLAM

VIRAL FEVER SPREADING IN KOLLAM

With dengue fever confirmed for five more persons on Monday, the number of persons in the district who have contracted dengue since the first week of May has reached 118. While only one death due to dengue has been confirmed during the period, the number of suspected dengue fever deaths stand at 10.The number of suspected dengue fever cases in the district since the first week of May touched 1,409 on Monday. The District Medical Office (DMO) said that on Monday 2,567 more persons with viral fever reached various hospitals in the district and 102 of them had been hospitalised. The figures available with the DMO show that the number of viral fever cases in the district has been increasing at an alarming rate in June. As per the figures, on June 1 the number of viral fever cases reported at various hospitals in the district stood at 873 and 61 among them were hospitalised. On June 3 the number of cases was 1,000 and 46 of them were hospitalised. The number of viral fever cases on June 4 was 1,118 and 57 among them hospitalised. On June 5 the figure was 1,449 and 54 of them required hospitalisation. On June 6 it was 1,731 and 71 of them were hospitalised and on June 7 it was 1,824 and 77 of them hospitalised.

Hotspots

District epidemiologist P.S. Rakesh said that the majority of the dengue fever cases in the district was reported from the eastern parts of the district where there were plenty of rubber plantations. Some of the worst-hit areas in the district were Karavalur, Punalur, Piravanthur, Pathanapuram, Poruvazhy, Ittiva and Chadayamangalam.Dr. Rakesh said that since 2001 occurrence of dengue increased in Kerala and outbreaks were reported repeatedly from most of the central and southern districts, though the first reported dengue fever cases were from Kottayam district in 1997 with 14 cases and 4 deaths. The dengue is transmitted by the bite of female aedes mosquitoes. They breed on freshwater in artificial containers. Even one spoon water is enough for mosquitoes to breed. These mosquitoes usually will not fly more than 100 meters. They bite during early morning and late evenings. The aedes mosquitoes can be differentiated by the peculiar black and white stripes on its body (hence called tiger mosquitoes).Dr. Rakesh said that the Aedes albopictus, the prominent vector of dengue in the State, had great affinity towards coconut shells and plastic cups used in rubber plantations for latex collection. The change in the cultivation pattern had undoubtedly contributed to the disease expansion. Manmade artificial containers, overhead tanks, construction sites and used tyres were some of the favourite breeding places of aedes mosquitoes.

He said that source reduction was the key strategy in dengue control and if every household made sure that, not even a spoon of water was stagnant on their premises and working places, dengue could be easily controlled. Latex collecting cups attached to rubber trees that were not being tapped should be removed, he said.

2 fever deaths

Staff Reporter adds from Pathanamthitta: Two persons died of viral fever in the district on Monday. The deceased were identified as Shibu Mathew, 34, of Thannithode, and Kalyani, 80, of Seethathode.Shibu Mathew, who had been suffering from viral fever, breathed his last on the way to the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapruam. Kalyani was undergoing treatment for leptospirosis at the Kottayam Government Medical College. Saiju Hameed, Deputy District Medical Officer, told The Hindu that a total of 1,699 viral fever patients had sought treatment at various government hospitals in the district on Monday. This included seven suspected cases of dengue fever, besides a clinically confirmed leptospirosos case from Adoor.Dr. Hameed said 249 cases of dengue were reported in various government hospitals in the district since January. Of this, 155 cases were reported in May alone. This is besides the 484 suspected dengue cases, including 281 cases in May alone.Though the Health Department has confirmed only four deaths due to dengue fever in the district during the past five months, unofficial reports have put the death toll due to dengue at 10, besides two deaths due to leptospirosis during the period.Dr. Hameed told  that the department had taken every possible measure to check the viral fever spreading in the district through intensive mosquito source reduction campaign and drives against the communicable disease.

Prof. John Kurakar