Date:06/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/06/stories/2006100612260100.htm

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Chikungunya claims 7 more lives

Staff Reporter

High-level team finds very high vector index in all affected areas

ALAPPUZHA : Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss will visit the chikungunya-affected areas in the district on Friday, an official release has said. A high-level team of officials would accompany the Minister.

Meanwhile, seven more persons died of suspected chikungunya in the district on Thursday. Unofficial statistics put the toll at 84 in the district. Alappuzha District Medical Officer (DMO) N.K. Velayudhan said the Health Department was preparing a list of those who died of suspected chikungunya. Those who died on Thursday were Raghavan (80), Anibhavan, Thanneermukkom panchayat; Vijayan (58), Nikarthil house, Cherthala municipality; Pankajakshy (80), Chani Veli house, Kanjikkuzhy panchayat; Viswan (57), Thoppil house, Thuravoor panchayat; Murali (35), Chirayil house, Thuravoor panchayat; Raman (75), Madhom Polla Nikarth, Pattanakkad panchayat; and Xavier Joseph (58), Kurishumkal house, Arthumkal panchayat.

Mr. Velayudhan said 2,019 persons sought treatment for epidemic fever in various hospitals in the district on Thursday.

He said the total number of persons in the district who sought treatment for epidemic fever till Thursday was 36, 478.

The epidemic affected the public life of Cherthala with attendance in coir factories registering a sharp fall.

The fisheries sector was hit with the number of fishermen going to the sea showing a significant decline. The disease has also affected the coir and tourism sectors.

High vector index

The high-level team of officials of the World Health Organisation, National Institute of Virology and National Institute of Communicable Diseases that visited the chikungunya-affected areas in the district found that very high vector index existed in all the affected areas.

Additional Health Director N. Raghavan who briefed the media about the discussions on Thursday said while the normal mosquito index is 10, the index at Cherthala taluk is 25-30.

He said such high index indicated that there was possibility for more epidemic outbreaks in the district.