ANANTAPUR: Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Gollapalli Surya Rao, who is also in-charge Minister for the district, has expressed concern over increase in viral fever cases in the district. More than 400 cases have been reported officially from 18 villages so far.

At a review meeting with district officials and elected representatives here on Thursday, Mr. Surya Rao underlined the need for a better and coordinated effort by departments of Medical and Health, Rural Water Supply and Panchayat Raj to check the incidence of viral fever.

The Minister said measures like improving sanitation and ensuring safe drinking water would help contain the fevers.

Explaining the steps being taken by the administration, district Collector Y.V. Anuradha stated that 20 teams of doctors and paramedical staff were formed to camp in the affected villages till the spread of viral fevers was contained.

No medicine shortage

Asked whether there was any shortage of medicines, District Medical and Health Officer Y. Swarupkumar Reddy said they had sufficient stock. Medical camps were being held in all the 18 affected villages, he said.

Stating that Narasanayunikunta village was the worst affected with 104 cases being reported from the place, Mr. Reddy said there were no reports of deaths or any physical disability from the disease so far. Singanamala legislator S. Sailajanath stated that viral fever cases were severe in Bandlapalli, Narpala, Atmakur and Karnapodi villages in his constituency. A doctor himself, the legislator cautioned the Medical and Health Department against holding medical camps for the sake of formality. A team of experts from the Indian Institute of Virology, Pune, had taken the samples of blood, the Collector explained.

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