KOLLAM: The children of two schools in the district have been affected by diphtheria and chicken pox. While diphtheria was confirmed in two students of a residential Arabic institute at Oachira here, some 24 students of Government Model UP school at Piravanthoor have been hit by chickenpox. The school has been closed for five days on the orders of the health department. A special team from the department conducted sanitation, including fogging, in the area. The health department has also started a vaccination campaign.
Out of the two students of the Arabic institute, a 16-year-old from Chandanathoppe has been admitted to an isolation ward in Thiruvananthapuram MCH. An 11-year-old from Pathanapuram was earlier admitted there with symptoms of diphtheria.
The samples of secretion from five students were sent to the public health laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram and the disease has been confirmed in the second patient. The students had shown symptoms, including fever and headache. The department is observing those who have not taken preventive vaccine which is available for free at government hospitals.
The health department has intensified measures to prevent further spread of the disease. Of the 260 inmates of the institute, some 36 students with symptoms were given erythromycin for 14 days. The rest were also given the medicine for ten days.
