District Medical Officer K.M. Sirabudin has said that the fear generated by media reports on the fever situation in the State could create more fever cases, since fear was known to be one of the possible causes of fever.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Sirabudin said it appeared that the media was celebrating fever cases with certain sections of the media even twisting facts. He cited a report in a couple of vernacular newspapers, which termed the death of one Raghavan Pillai, 81, of Chunakara here, on Wednesday as one caused by fever. However, the family of the deceased and the doctors who visited his home had confirmed that he had died due to age-related ailments.
The DMO, who said that there was nothing for the official machinery to hide, said the fever incidence in Alappuzha should be attributed to geographical reasons. The district has a population density of 940 persons per square kilometre as against the State's ratio of 600 persons per square km, he said. Further, there was no proper disposal of garbage. He blamed indiscriminate dumping of plastic and e-waste and urbanisation as well for the fever.
The district health wing was taking precautionary measures and was prepared to hold medical camps wherever necessary. The floating dispensary in Kuttanad too was well-equipped. Rapid Response Teams were constituted, ASHA volunteers were deputed and the entire official machinery was on a high alert, he said.
At the same time, the DMO said 4,040 persons with viral fever had approached the Alappuzha General Hospital and other primary health centres from June 1 to Wednesday. As many as 242 persons were hospitalised. This was against the 12,300 viral fever cases reported in these centres in May.
There were five officially confirmed leptospirosis cases with no deaths while there were seven officially confirmed dengue fever cases, also with no deaths apart from an H1N1 fever case. There were 835 out-patient cases for diarrheal diseases, 78 of which were admitted. All of these were reported in the first nine days of June, he said, adding that there were no fever deaths in the district so far.
