'Kala azar,' 'typhus,' 'scrub fever' in Kerala: Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, July 17 (UNI) Cases of 'kala azar', 'typhus fever' and 'scrub typhus' have been reported from some parts of Kerala, Health Minister P K Sreemathy told the Assembly today.

In a written reply to Mr K Babu (Congress) and others, she said 'kala azar,' a parasite illness infected through a kind of sandfly, was found in Kollam, Thrissur and Kozhikode Districts.

Ms Sreemathy disclosed the death of a child from Kozhikode with symptoms of typhus, a bacterial fever.

Suspected cases of 'scrub typhus disease was found in some areas in Thiruvananthapuram District.

Though mosquitoes carrying 'yellow fever and West Nile Fever'were spotted, no fever cases were reported from any part of the state, she added.

In order to destroy sandflies in the nearby areas from where 'kala-azar,' also known as 'leishmaniasis' were reported, indoor residue spraying had been done with synthetic pyrothoride, she said.

The government had also asked National Virology Institute and Directorate of National Vector Borne Disease Programme Institutes to make available kits used for examining whether the disease had spread to others.

Besides, it had also asked the Kozhikode unit of the National Institute of Communicable Disease to submit a report on whether the typhus fever was spreading, she added.

UNI