Dengue fever threat grips Pathanamthitta

With the intermittent summer rains bringing in mosquitoes, dengue and other viral fever cases are on the rise in the Central Travancore district of Pathanamthitta.

Deputy District Medical Officer L. Anithakumai told The Hindu that a total of 132 confirmed cases of dengue fever had been reported from different parts of the district since January. She said 90 confirmed cases of dengue fever was reported from the district in the past three weeks.

Health Department sources said a majority of the cases were reported from Ranni-Angady, Vallana, Thannithode, Malayalappuzha, Elanthoor, Omalloor, Kadammanitta and Konni.

Dr Anithakumari said as many as 25,073 viral fever cases had been reported from various government healthcare centres in the district as on Tuesday. As many as 19 cases of Leptospirosis and 15 cases of Hepatitis-B too were reported from the district, she said.

The Chikunguniya virus infection had claimed as many as 100 human lives in the district besides leaving not less than 2.5 lakh people infected nine years ago.

The district is yet to recover from the secondary complications of that vector-borne fever epidemic. Pollution of water bodies due to callous dumping of waste from markets is a major public health risk in the district.