With one more case of malaria reported from Elathur here, an action plan involving Health, Education and Labour Departments was drawn up at a multi-department meeting on Monday to rid the district of anopheles mosquitoes that transmit the disease-causing parasite (plasmodium falciparum).
In under a week, seven cases of malaria have been reported from Elathur. Reporting the seventh case on Monday, District Medical Officer (DMO) R.L. Saritha said the plan was being put into action immediately and that surveillance for new cases and preventive measures were on.
Blood smears from 458 people were collected to test for malaria.
Led by the DMO, a co-ordinated prevention of outbreak of diseases is being put into action. Officials and field staff of the district Health Department and the Kozhikode Corporation are into surveillance in the colonies reporting high mosquito density and symptoms of malaria.
Killing larvae
Spraying of larvicide inside houses and dropping gappi fish into wells to feed on mosquito larvae were done throughout Monday, and it would continue till the threat of new cases persists. As a spin-off from the malaria prevention drive, the ongoing anti-larval measures also target Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit the dengue-causing flavivirus and breed in fresh water.
People were asked to report fever cases to the nearest health centre and were warned against any form of self-medication, including over-the-counter drugs. Proven cases should be treated only with anti-malarial drugs.
Health field staff said the cool, dark spaces behind curtains, open interior doors and clothes stands are the hideouts of adult mosquitoes. The larvae could be in water stored in open containers or discarded, water-holding items strewn around the house.
V.M. Sharath, a resident of Elathur, said the colony he resided in near the beach was littered with plastic carry bags. These bags could hold rainwater and thus turn into breeding space for mosquitoes.
“You can find this all over Elathur, as people fling these bags regularly into the open. Health workers have pointed out that these turn into dangerous mosquito breeding spaces, and that we have to end this practice,” said Mr. Sharath, the son of V.M. Sathyan, a fisherman who was the sixth case of malaria reported from Elathur last week.
As per the action plan, existing student clubs in schools will be involved in spreading the message of prevention, including mosquito larvae elimination. The Labour Department will hold fever screening camps in areas where migrant workers reside. Sensitisation material will be printed in their mother tongue.
In under a week, seven cases of malaria have been reported from Elathur in the district
