KOCHI: The health department has issued an alert against an outbreak of infectious diseases such dengue fever as summer showers intensified.
Residents of those areas where dengue fever was reported earlier have been told to be extra careful. The other vulnerable areas are plantations and migrant labourers' colonies.
The conducive climatic condition - drought, followed by intermittent summer rains - is a major reason for the increased breeding of anopheles aedes mosquitoes. The high daytime temperature coupled with evening showers also helps increase mosquito density.
Acute fever, headache, muscle and joint pain and pain around the eyes are the preliminary symptoms of dengue.
People have been asked to take preventive measures such as source reduction, proper waste management and obser-ving dry day against vector-borne diseases. Chances for outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases are higher this year as the city corporation is yet to intensify the pre-monsoon cleaning.
Meanwhile, education minister C. Raveendranath will chair a district level review on pre-monsoon cleaning and prevention of infectious disease outbreak.
