KOCHI: Kothamangalam taluk is in the grip of dengue outbreak with more than 150 confirmed cases being reported so far. As per the instruction of director of health department, a team of top health officials from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam including district medical officer, rural health officer and epidemiologists have visited various areas in the taluk.
Health department has already issued a warning in the wake of outbreak and a meeting of the vector control unit was convened on Monday which chalked out a comprehensive action plan for disease control. Considering the high temperature and intermittent summer rains, the health authorities have also warned against outbreak of mosquito borne diseases in other parts of the district.
District medical officer Dr. N.K. Kuttappan told this paper that the situation in Kothamangalam is serious but under control. He said intensive measures are needed to prevent further spread of disease. “Intermittent drizzle and sharp increase in mercury level provide ideal climate for mosquitoes to grow. With water left over by the rains, rubber, pineapple and coco plantations are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. We've collected samples from the affected areas for further investigation,” he said.
State epidemiologists Dr. A. Sukumaran, Dr. Umarul Farooq, additional DMO Dr. V.N. Balagangadharan, rural health officer P.N. Sreenivasan and district malaria officer V.G. Asok Kumar are part of the team investigating the dengue outbreak.
The eastern parts of Ernakulam district where rubber and pineapple plantations are in abundance have been bearing the brunt of infectious diseases' outbreak like chikungunya and dengue fever for the past few years. The major reason cited is high density of disease causing mosquito population.
