KOCHI: The district health authorities are working hard to arrest the further spread of Hepatitis A at Nellikuzhi and neighbouring panchayats of Kothamangalam where three people had reportedly died of the illness.
District Surveillance Officer Dr. Balagangadharan told The Hindu that the disease was on the decline, but those infected were capable of spreading it if people were not careful about their personal hygiene.
Incidentally, more than 280 people have been infected in Nellikuzhi panchayat alone, while the number of those infected in and around the panchayat is around 360.
As many as 386 people attended a medical camp conducted by a five-member team from the Cheruvattur Primary Health Centre on Friday, and 253 blood samples were sent for testing.
The health authorities had drawn flak for not identifying the source of the infection earlier and closing the eating joint that had been run for a month by people infected with Hepatitis A.
A number of people may be carriers of the disease, and they may not have the typical clinical symptoms of fever, vomiting, loss of appetite, or exhaustion. Such cases remain hidden as most people take fever lightly. In this context, the advice of the health authorities is to get the blood tested if there is suspicion.
The Hepatitis A virus has a long period of transmission, starting from two weeks before the symptoms appear and one week after the disease subsides. The virus is sturdy and can survive in the soil for a long time.
Since the virus has an fecal-oral route, personal hygiene should get the top priority while checking its spread.
On an average, an infected person, who does not take adequate precaution, can infect another 200.
