62 chikungunya cases confirmed in Kerala: Health Secy

Thiruvananthapuram, May 30 (UNI) Kerala Health Secretary Vishwas Mehta today confirmed 62 chikungunya cases in the state.

Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Mehta said a maximum number of 49 chikungunya cases were reported from Pathanamthitta District and the government had taken all steps to contain the disease by destroying mosquito breeding sources.

Additional Director of Non-Communicable Diseases B C Jain, who was the technical head in the Central team which visited the state to evaluate the situation, said since there was no medicine to treat the viral fever, it could be contained only through destroying the mosquito larvae in and around houses.

''The only effective method to check the spread of the disease is to destroy the mosquito breeding centres in and around houses,'' he said and sought public co-operation in this regard.

He said there might be Chikungunya cases in the state. But they could be established only through laboratory tests. However, he ruled out the possibility of chikungunya causing death.

''Though clinical examination has corroborated chikungunya cases in the state, they could be confirmed only through laboratory tests and we are waiting for the same,'' he added.

Mr Jain said the Central team had visited most of the affected districts and collected blood samples of the patients suffering from fever and sent them to Delhi for testing.

Stating community participation and awareness were necessary for elimination of mosquitoe menace, through which the disease was spreading, Mr Mehta said the life cycle of mosquitoes should be cut short.

The government had appointed 142 health workers to step up prevention measures. The team will also visit some affected areas of Idukki, Kottayam, Palakkad, Thrissur, Alappuzha and Kollam.

UNI