Second confirmed case of malaria reported in city

An eight-year-old girl, a resident of Basai village in the district, was diagnosed with malaria earlier this month, and blood specimens tested in a laboratory confirmed the disease on Friday, health department officials said.

This was the second confirmed case of the vector-borne disease this year, according to the department’s data. The year’s first case was confirmed on April 16, when a 38-year-old man, a resident of Sector 56, tested positive for the disease.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease transmitted through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito.

The period of greatest risk over the past few years in the city has been between April and November due to warmer, wetter weather, health department officials said, adding that the number of cases is expected to rise this month.

Meanwhile, the district health department has started conducting anti-larval activities. Dr Jai Bhagwan Jatain, district malaria officer, said, “More than 63 workers and 18 health inspectors are going from door to door to check the breeding of mosquitoes and destroy potential sources of breeding.”

He added that more people are being recruited to carry out spraying near houses where a case of the vector-borne disease has been confirmed.

From April 16 till now, 40 houses in different areas across the district have been served notices after mosquito breeding was spotted there, officials said. Failure to remove the breeding sites in 10 days would invite a fine of Rs500, they added

First Published: May 12, 2019 00:15 IST