Sporadic cases of mosquito-borne diseases are being reported from across Kozhikode district just days after the Health Department claimed to have contained the Nipah outbreak. As many as 180 suspected cases and 14 confirmed cases of dengue fever, three cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) including one death, and five malaria cases were reported since June 1.
JE cases were not reported from the district last year and the Health Department recently issued an advisory asking the people to be cautious. Of the five malaria cases, two are indigenous and the others were reported from among migrant labourers. One of such labourers, who had been working in a footwear making unit at Kakkanchery, left a government hospital during the course of his treatment and the others left for their hometowns soon after they were diagnosed with malaria. Thirteen malaria cases were reported from the coastal belt of Puthiyappa last year.
Dengue cases have been reported frequently from the hilly areas such as Puthuppady ever since the district started getting summer showers.
The number of people with fever symptoms frequenting hospitals is going up reportedly after the onset of the monsoon. According to the data provided by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, 50 suspected dengue cases were reported only on June 11 and 20 suspected cases on June 12.
Arogya Jagratha
District Medical Officer V. Jayasree told The Hindu on Tuesday that the department had been undertaking various activities as part of the Arogya Jagratha programme to contain the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Cleanliness drives were held in areas such as Puthiyappa where a malaria case was reported. Health workers had been conducting house visits to create awareness about maintaining hygiene. Also, steps were being taken to eradicate breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
“Meetings are being held in all Assembly constituencies. Kuttiyadi, Koyilandy and Beypore will have them on Wednesday,” she said. All constituencies would be covered by June 22. An action plan would be prepared at ward-level by the month-end. The whole exercise would be repeated in the coming months too, she added.