Rural areas still in grip of viral fever

Kozhikode: Though the heavy rain is expected to contain viral fever as
storm water churns up mosquito-breeding sources, most rural areas in
the district are yet to be fully unshackled from its grip. The office
of District Medical Officer K.M. Noorul Ameen says that on Thursday,
4,818 people sought treatment for different kinds of fever in
government hospitals, including the Government Medical College and the
community health centres, in the district. Health inspectors in the
community health centres say the number of fever cases is falling in
areas where it was reported first. "But the fever seems to be getting
stronger in some new areas," says a health inspector. Mukkom and
Vadakara are among the areas where the number of cases is on the rise,
say health officials. The health authorities and medical experts
suggest that environmental hygiene and preventive measures are crucial
in containing fever. P.K. Sasidharan, Professor and Head of the
Department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Kozhikode, says
only the measures taken by the public at the individual and community
levels to maintain environmental hygiene will help. He says people
should take measures to curb the breeding of mosquitoes and use
devices such as mosquito nets to escape from being bitten. Keeping the
immunity levels intact is crucial in controlling the disease.

The Hindu, July 17