Though incidence of malaria has come down in the district and the most vulnerable Agency area concerted efforts are being made to further reduce incidence malaria and other fevers there and in the rest of the district, district nodal officer and Joint Director of Health T. Rama Rao has said.
From January to September this year, 4465 cases of malaria were diagnosed in 5.38 lakh smear tests with a majority of them, 3527 in the Agency, he told reporters here on Friday. In the corresponding period in the previous year, the number was 5739. The number of dengue cases was 756 (412 last year).
Apart from spraying of chemicals in the houses two rounds in the Agency area and anti-larvae operations, a total of 31 mobile malaria and dengue clinics were pressed into service and four entomological teams of doctors formed to concentrate on identified hotspots.
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ACT kits given
In the Agency area, ASHA workers were provided with ACT kits with three-day course as chloroquin proved ineffective.
In the rural area seven hotspots have been identified, in urban five and the Agency one. Among the hotspots are Allipuram, Vepagunta, Burma Camp, Sriharipuram, Arilova, Pedagadi, Pendurti, Simhachalam and Hukumpeta.
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Mr. Rama Rao said 4.8 lakh mosquito nets would be distributed and 1.2 lakh of them had already arrived and sent for distribution. Mosquito nets were distributed earlier too but were not being used effectively. The nets were of different sizes and could be used for three, four years and awareness was being spread about them. This time mosquito nets were being distributed in urban areas too.
District Medical and Health Officer R. Ramesh said following the instructions of the Collector, reporting of cases of dengue from private hospitals had increased. Allaying fears over dengue incidence, he said in any suspected case blood samples would be sent to the Microbiology Department in KGH.