The six-member team of medical experts, formed by the Geneva-based World Health Organisation (WHO), on second day of its visit on Saturday made a whirlwind tour of Battalavallam, Karipakkam, Rachakandriga, Chinna Pandur and Pulivallam of Varadaiahpalem mandal in Chittoor district and made an in-depth study of as many as ten casualty cases due to suspected dengue and viral fevers since the first week of September.
District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Aruna Sulochana Devi told The Hindu that all the fever cases, including suspected dengue, from the mandal were shifted to SVRR Hospital in Tirupati, and the area hospitals in Srikalahasti and Satyavedu.
“A senior official of the WHO is in touch with us and has enquired about the reported prevalence of yellow fever in the region. We have informed the team that the region is known for prevalence typhoid, malaria, swine flu and other viral fevers. The expert team’s visit to all the vulnerable panchayats in the mandal found no symptoms of yellow fever, but possible cases of dengue. The Collector is personally monitoring the situation here and issued instructions for shifting of all fever cases and their care till they get discharged,” the DMHO said.
District Surveillance Officer (infectious diseases) Annareddy Sudarsan said that the Central team apart from collecting the blood samples from the vulnerable villages, also gathered some mosquitoes for entomological investigations. “The expert team’s arrival has given the much required moral boost and confidence to the people here,” the official said.
Meanwhile, a medical officer observed that some fever patients using antibiotics and B-complex capsules, who generally urinate yellow, might have mistaken the symptoms for yellow fever.
District Coordinator of Health Services (DCHS) P. Sarala, District Epidemiologist V. Nagaraju and senior medical officers accompanied the expert team.
