- THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India
(PTI) -- Weils Disease (rat fever) had claimed 58 lives in Kerala since
January this year and the health department was taking all necessary steps
to contain the epidemic, health minister P Sankaran, said here today.
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- Addressing reporters here, he said 1,202 suspected cases
had been reported from many parts of the state. The highest number of 18
cases were reported from Kozhikode district.
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- He said a monitoring committee, headed by the health
secretary, had been formed to oversee the steps to be taken to check the
disease, known in medical parlance as leptospirosis. The district-level
co-ordination committees to monitor treatment for patients would be led
by district collectors.
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- The minister said medical colleges, district and taluk
hospitals had been equipped with arrangements for rapid diagnosis. Rapid
response teams had also been formed under deputy district medical officers
in all districts.
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- Sankaran said an amount of Rs 28 lakh had been allotted
for steps to prevent the epidemic. Treasury restrictions would not be a
hurdle for releasing funds to tackle the spread of the disease. Rat control
measures would be taken up with the help of the agriculture department.
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- Sankaran said the government proposed to launch a programme,
involving the agriculture, local administration and animal husbandry departments
under the 10th five year plan to make people aware of preventive measures
against the disease.
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- The agriculture department had released Rs two lakh each
to all districts for rat control measures, he said.
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- The statistics released by the minister showed that the
disease, also known as canicols fever, had claimed 327 lives in the state
since 1998, out of the 5386 cases reported.
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- The symptoms of the disease, spread through the urine
of rodents in muddy waters, include sudden rise in temperature, headache,
back pain and vomitting, which could lead to fatal renal failure, pneumonia
and problems with heart and liver.
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- Sankaran said health department officials would meet
every day to evaluate the steps being taken against the disease. A comprehensive
scheme would be evolved, with the assistance of related departments, to
check the epidemic, he added.
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