Rise in malaria cases keeps Health Dept. on its toes

ASHA workers keep track of people going to places where disease is highly prevalent

The Health Department, through accredited social health activists (ASHA) and junior health assistants, is keeping track of people going to places where malaria is highly prevalent.

This is in the wake of a rise in malaria cases and also to eliminate the disease by 2020 as per the National Framework for Malaria Elimination.

Blood smear of those who visit these places is being taken compulsorily on their return and if they tested positive, treatment was being given instantaneously.

The department examined 4,36,577 blood smears collected across the district during 2016. Of them, 48 cases — including a pregnant woman and a one-year-old — were positive. During 2015, 37 people were infected by the disease.

In 2016, 20 positive cases were reported from Hunsur taluk, six in H.D. Kote, two each in Periyapatna and K.R. Nagar taluks, and six in Mysuru city.

S. Chidambar, vector-borne diseases control officer, told

The Hindu here on Monday that drivers, conductors, and merchants who go to places where malaria is prevalent for business purposes tend to have this disease.

People from Mangaluru Mala near Hunsur, Bilikere, Talakad, and Periyapatna visit places where malaria is highly prevalent, for vegetables and other businesses, he said adding that chances of these businessmen developing malaria are more.

The department has directed ASHA workers and junior health assistants to take their blood smear irrespective of whether they complained fever or not. Sufficient essential medicines are stored in all primary health centres to treat those infected by malaria.

Dr. Chidambar said 12 people tested positive for malaria on Rathnapuri road in Hunsur on a single day two months ago and they were all given radical treatment.