With the Health Departent claiming that the leptospirosis outbreak is now under control in the district, the focus is slowly shifting to prevention of diseases spread by mosquitoes and other insects, such as dengue fever.
It has been decided to conduct a two-day special drive from September 8 to contain vector-borne diseases in view of dengue fever being reported sporadically from different parts of Kozhikode district after the floods. An alert was issued in the district on Wednesday.
Nineteen suspected cases of dengue fever have been reported in the district since September 1. There has been one confirmed case and one death too. Till August this year, there were 197 cases and two deaths. According to sources, receding of the floodwaters was followed by stagnation of water at different places, where mosquitoes spreading dengue fever are found to be breeding. Local bodies have been told to focus on disposal of waste and elimination of mosquito-breeding sources.
Cleaning work
Health workers, students and the public will participate in the cleaning work to be taken up in Kozhikode Corporation, municipalities and grama panchayat limits. Preventive measures such as fogging will be held along with it. Health workers will ensure that all those in flood-hit areas have consumed doxycycline tablets as a preventive measure.
An oath stressing the importance of reducing the stagnation of water and keeping public and private places dry will be taken in schools on Friday. Students will be trained in making ORS solution and all schools will have facility to prepare it.
Meanwhile, seven more cases of leptospirosis were confirmed in the district on Thursday.
There were 13 suspected cases. The new cases were reported from Peruvayal, Eranjikkal, Mavoor, Chorodu, Chevayoor, Kakkodi, Kunnamangalam, Muthalakkulam, Nadakkavu, Puthiyara, West Hill, Vellayil, and Mankavu. The total number of confirmed cases has gone up to 135 and suspected cases to 270. Nineteen deaths have been reported so far.