Fever cases shoot up in Kozhikode

KOZHIKODE: With the onset of monsoon,  the viral fever cases in the district have increased.  The outpatient wings of all the government hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and corporate hospitals are teeming with  fever patients.  Over 1,000 patients daily visit  the outpatient wings of  government hospitals in the district,  including the Government Medical College Hospital.

From January to June,  the district unit of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) has reported 82, 827 fever cases, in which 16,055 cases were recorded in June alone.   According to the  health department officials, the district has recorded the  highest number of fever cases  in the last five years.

The department has also registered 64 malaria cases, in which 39 are migrants.  The Government MCH  started a fever clinic on the campus  to tackle the fever cases. “On many occasions, viral fevers cannot be avoided, especially for professionals whose work involves a lot of travelling and outdoor activity”, opined District Medical Officer R.L. Saritha.

However, high risk groups like pregnant women, chronic diabetics and hypertensive patients who also have co-morbid conditions like heart and kidney ailments and children must take precautions, she added. The symptoms include low and high grade fever, body pains, inflammation of the throat, running nose, headache, nasal congestion and  muscle and joint pains.

In some cases, when the fever is intense, the lymph glands could swell. “We are conducting health camps at all the high risk areas for viral fevers, malaria, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis,”  Saritha added.  The public should take care of personal hygiene and keep their immediate surroundings clean.