Thiruvananthapuram: The Health department has decided to intensify the drive against leptospirosis which claimed five deaths today.
The disease was confirmed among 115 patients and 141 people had sought treatment for suspected symptoms. Deaths were reported from Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts. The highest number of cases were reported from Kozhikode districts.
The health department has intensified preventive measures in Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Malappuram. The DMOs have been directed to strictly adhere to the treatment protocol.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet subcommittee headed by E.P. Jayarajan on Tuesday decided to take comprehensive measures for checking the spread of leptospiriosis in the state.
At the meeting, the officials informed that sufficient stocks of preventive medicine had been made available in all hospitals especially in the affected areas. Of the total number of patients who died due to leptospirosis only one had taken preventive medicine, additional chief secretary health Rajeev Sadanandan informed the meeting.
Over 60 lakh preventive tablets were distributed in the flood-affected areas in anticipation of the outbreak of leptospirosis. However, even after getting medicines people were showing reluctance to have it. This had compounded the problems on the ground.
With water still remaining in some parts of the flood-affected areas, the possibility of vector borne diseases is high. The meeting decided to initiate measures for source reduction and intensify disease control prevention and treatment activities in the affected.
