Health department seals Malaria-hit areas

Kozhikode: District health officers have sealed off the Elathur coastal area for the second consecutive day on Wednesday after five cases of Plasmodium Falsiparum Malaria was reported from here. Indoor Space Spraying (ISS) was done in seven houses including the one where five cases were detected.

Guppy fish was distributed in wells and 'Abate' was mixed as larvicide in the well to destroy the breeding source of the Anopheles mosquito which causes malaria.As many as 158 samples of blood were collected from the area and sent for tests. All the 194 samples sent on Tuesday proved to be negative in the lab analysis.

Further, a health education class was conducted at GMLP School Elathur with the participation of close to 150 local people. A fever clinic was also conducted in the area. District Medical Officer, Dr R.L Saritha said that the condition of the five persons admitted due to Plasmodium Falsiparum malaria was stable. The affected are Divakaran (62), wife Vijayamma (48),  daughter Divya (26) and Divya's children; Rishitha (5) and Shithi (2.5).

They are being treated at the general hospital in the beach area and at medical college hospital. The surveillance work will be continued on Thursday also. The area will be under fever surveillance for 14 days, according to health officials. The health team, including the DMO visited the spot on Wednesday.

Not cerebral malaria: DMO

DMO Dr R.L Saritha said that all the five cases were not cerebral malaria as reported but plasmodium falsiparum malaria. “Cerebral malaria is the extreme condition where falsiparum malaria affects the brain and may lead to death. No such condition existed here. Falsiparum malaria was reported a couple of months back also,” she said.