Chennai: The recent report by National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme revealed the increase in all vector-borne diseases including malaria, dengue, acute encephalitis syndrome and Japanese encephalitis in the state in last three months.
The number of Malaria cases in Tamil Nadu has doubled from 609 to 1,383 recording a spike of around 774 cases between April and May. There were 46 cases due to Plasmodium falciparum (PF), the parasite that causes malaria and is transmitted through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. The PF cases have increased to 81 this year till May.
Though the malaria cases have been brought down by 47 percent in the past five years in the country, according to Union health ministry data, but it continues to be a major public health problem in Tamil Nadu. The number of malaria cases surged from 4,341 cases in 2016 to 5,449 in 2017.
While dengue cases are under control when compared to last year that recorded 23,035 cases and 63 deaths in the state, 204 new cases were registered in last three months.
The number of dengue cases in the state rose from 1,451 to 1,655, but there were no new deaths due to the same. Acute encephalitis syndrome claimed three lives in April- June this year and the number of cases doubled during this time taking the toll to 538 cases.
The cases of Japanese encephalitis also increased to 49 from 25 during the same span. Tamil Nadu records 99 cases of chikungunya till June 2018 as per National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.
The southern districts of Tamil Nadu including Dharmapuri, Sivagangai and Madurai reported malaria outbreaks, while dengue outbreaks were reported in Madurai, Dindigul, Sivagangai and Virudhunagar since the beginning of this year as per Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of National Centre for Disease Control. Chikungunya cases were reported in large numbers in Dindigul, Tiruvallur, Virudhunagar and Ariyalur.
Despite various efforts to keep the numbers of cases due to vector-borne diseases low, the figures have risen continuously. However, public health department officials blamed it on the environmental factors for an increase in the incidences of infectious diseases in Tamil Nadu.
