Fear of Dengue Grips Residents of Coimbatore Village After Several Suffer from Fever

Villagers of Karadimadai village in Tamil Nadu are worried after four cases of fever were reported in the area following incessant rains in the state.

The villagers said that after the drains were clogged, the menace of mosquitoes intensified. The residents have been urging to either close the drains or ensure smooth flow of sewage water, The Times of India reported.

Mosquitoes spreading dengue, malaria, chikungunya, zika virus, Yellow fever, Japanese Encephalitis and others breed in stagnant water. These mosquitoes become quite active during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.

A resident of the Karadimadai village, Muthusamy said that he and his wife are worried about their two children after the children in the neighbourhood were found suffering from viral fever. He said that the primary health centre has told that though the children were not suffering from dengue but the symptoms are akin to that of the mosquito-borne disease.

Muthusamy further said that staff of primary health centre had visited their house earlier this week and have reported mosquito menace in the area. He said that mosquitoes can be spotted in large numbers even during the daytime.

Karadimadai village shelters around 2,000 people. The report said that the locals have informed that the drains in the village were built years ago. “They are too narrow and every time it rains, soil gets washed into the drains, blocking it. We don’t have tar or cement roads in every lane,” Muthusamy told the daily.

The report said that officials of Thenkarai village visited Karadimadai and assured to clear the drains and shut the ones which are needed to be. Villagers also want fogging and spraying of insecticides to control the menace of mosquito diseases in the area.

The report mentioned joint director of public health Dr Bhanumathi saying that on Wednesday, she held meeting with block development officers to ensure there were no breeding ground of Aedes aegypti in their jurisdiction. “Though Aedes aegypti don’t breed in sewage water and usually breed only in clean water, we will request officers to inspect the village again. It is to be noted that all daytime mosquitoes are not Aedes aegypti,” she added.

According to the report, the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital, on Thursday, had 90 viral fever cases and 25 dengue cases.