KOZHIKODE: Wayanad is in the grip of scare in the wake of a student in a remote village school being affected with diphtheria and three other suspected cases being reported. The Parents-Teachers’ Association (PTA) of the government higher secondary school, Chulliode near Sulthan Bathery, held a series of meetings to discuss the issue and also streamlined strategies to check the spread of the disease.
PTA president Shaji Kottayil told Deccan Chronicle that the kith and kin of the child had taken preventive vaccine doses and awareness sessions were held for the villagers, parents as well as students. “Students with symptoms of diphtheria were examined ruling out chances for the spread of the disease,” he added.
Wayanad DMO Dr Asha Devi told DC that the department was taking all measures to check the disease and the health workers across the district were on alert. “So far there have been only three suspected cases apart from the one confirmed case in the district,” she said. The neighbouring Kozhikode district has reported 18 confirmed diphtheria cases and 83 suspected ones.
