Chikungunya continue to spread in K'taka district

Mangalore, Jun 6 (UNI) Large number of fresh cases of chikungunya continued to be reported in Dakshina Kannada district despite the District administrations claims of initiating preventive measures.

Fresh cases continued to pour in from all the four taluks in the district with more than 1400 cases being reported from Puttur and 1200 cases from Bantwal today.

An estimated 25,000 people had been hit by the viral fever in the district till date. Almost all health centers in the four taluks were flooded by people suffering from the disease, while health workers worked overtime distributing medicine to the affected.

However, according to an official report, 5000 confirmed cases of chikungunya had been reported from the four taluks of Sullya, Belthangady, Puttur and Bantwal.

People accused the health department of not taking enough preventive measures to arrest the spread of the disease citing election code of conduct during the assembly elections.

At last the department swung into action and health camps are being held and even homeopathic medicines is being distributed to the patients who were averse to consume allopathic medicine.

Deputy Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao who visited Sullya yesterday had said that the epidemic was now under control and people need not panic. The district administration had taken all necessary preventive steps, he claimed today.

The administration had put into service 35 fogging equipment and medicines were being distributed in all health centres in the affected taluks.

He had also instructed the taluk officials to take steps to ensure cleaning of drains and other places in slums in rural areas.

He had also instructed the officials to extend the treatment centres set up in rural areas by few more days.

He said that the disease will be under control once monsoon which set in last week brings more rains. It had been weak since its onset in the district.

Mr. Rao said that officials would ensure distribution of free food to those coming under BPL families affected by fever.

The state government had decided to provide required financial assistance to the district to control the disease, he added.

Meanwhile, the epidemic was feared to have entered the city with four cases of chikungunya had reported today.

According to a report, four cases were confirmed at a clinic in Kuloor in the city limit here where their blood samples was tested.

This has disproved the claims by the District Health Officer who had denied before the media persons a few days ago that the disease had not entered the city.

UNI MA RS TS1901