Date:05/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/05/stories/2007050501450300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Malaria still lurks in endemic areas

Sahana Charan

It has accounted for six deaths till March

Bangalore: Even as Health Department officials are busy patting themselves on their back for the "reduced" number of malaria cases in the State, Karnataka has reported six malaria-related deaths till the end of March this year.

It is the endemic areas that are worst affected — Dakshina Kannada had four deaths while Belgaum accounted for two.

According to official data from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, there were 7,316 malaria cases reported throughout the State till March. As the health officials claim, the number of cases of this vector-borne disease came down from 83,181 in 2005 to 62,512 last year.

But the disease continues to be a killer in the endemic areas. Last year, it accounted for 29 deaths and of these 11 occurred in Dakshina Kannada while 10 people died in Belgaum, five in Kolar and one each in Gadag, Haveri and Koppal.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. The disease spreads through the "Anopheles" mosquito. There are four types of parasites that affect human beings — plasmodium falciparum, p. vivax, p. ovale, and p. malariae.

The symptoms include fever, chillness and flu-like illness. Left untreated, patients may develop severe complications and die.

Plasmodium vivax is responsible for the more common malaria fever while Plasmodium falciparum causes cerebral malaria, which, if not treated on time can be fatal.

This type of malaria shows symptoms of high fever, severe headache and patient may be in a state of unconsciousness or delirium.

The Task Force on Health and Family Welfare in its report in 2001 had said that the falciparum parasites were becoming increasingly resistant to chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug and that there was an urgent need to investigate the frequency and geographic distribution of chloroquine resistance in both P.falciparum and P.vivax. But according to medical officials in the Government, not much has been done to carry out such investigations.

When contacted, M.L. Rudrappa, Director of Health and Family Welfare, said the department had taken up a cleanliness drive to check stagnation of water to prevent mosquito breeding. All primary health centres and sub-centres were adequately stocked with essential drugs and there was no shortage.

"We have taken up regular fogging activities in all districts and new fogging machines have been acquired for this purpose," Dr. Rudrappa said.

However, there is a catch. The Task Force had categorically said that insecticide sprays and fogging to reduce adult mosquitoes should not be done "routinely" and should be planned and applied judiciously, in chosen places and times, as a last resort in malaria control. The department seems to be turning a deaf ear to their recommendations.