Date:31/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/31/stories/2008033157930100.htm

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Two suspected cases of diarrhoea deaths

S. Sundar

Chlorine tablets being distributed
Residents urged to drink boiled water

VIRUDHUNAGAR: Two suspected cases of diarrhoea deaths in Narikudi block and outbreak of chicken pox in Sivakasi and Vembakottai blocks have put the officials of Health Department on alert.

However, the Virudhunagar Deputy Director (Health), P. Vadivelan, has denied that the deaths of two women were because of diarrhoea.

“One of them had just then returned from Mumbai, and the death was due to food poisoning and the other owing to chronic illness. Since the death occurred amid reports of five cases of diarrhoea, people mistook them as diarrhoea deaths,” he told The Hindu.

Stating that contamination of water caused diarrhoea at P. Puliyankulam, Dr. Vaidvelan said a medical team had been deployed to monitor the situation, which was under control and no fresh cases had been reported in the last few days.

The health officials were making door-to-door distribution of chlorine tablets to make water potable. People too had been asked to drink boiled water.

Meanwhile, the Sivakasi Deputy Director (Health), S. Balasubramanian, said that 73 cases of chicken pox had been reported at Periyanackenpatti, Chitharajapuram, Erichanatham and Thayilpatti of Sivakasi and Vembakottai blocks.

District-level officials were collating day-to-day reports of fever cases in all the PHCs.