Four more suspected Chikungunya deaths in Cherthala

Alapuzha, Kerala Sep 18 (UNI) Four more suspected Chikungunya deaths were reported from the Cherthala area of this district since last night, taking the death toll to 19.

Doctors at the Cherthala taluk hospital said that two people, indentified as Maniappan, 55, and Mani, 65, died in the hospital last night. They were both suffering from fever and other symptoms of Chikungunya such as swelling and pain in the joints.

Two other persons from Cherthala, admitted to the Kottayam and Alappuzha Medical College Hospitals yesterday with these symptoms, died this morning.

Kamalakshi, 72, died in the Kottayam Medical College and Purushothaman, 62, died at Alappuzha Medical College. While Kamalakshi belonged to the Thaneermukham area of Cherthala, Mani was from the Kanjikkuzhi Panchayat of the taluk.

Meanwhile, villagers of the Muhamma panchayat have decided to form a human chain in the village tomorrow to focus attention on the need for urgent steps to check the disease.

UNI XR ARC DKB MIR KP1935