KOCHI: A leptospirosis-related death was reported from Paravoor in the district on Wednesday, bringing the total number of death owing to the disease to six in the year. The deceased V V Satheesan, 42, had been undergoing treatment for the past few days at Ernakulam General Hospital and at a private hospital in Kochi. Satheesan is survived by wife Omana and children Savitha and Sana. Two more cases of leptospirosis have been reported from Mamalakandam and Rayamangalam, district health officials said.The Health Department will undertake awareness campaigns and drives to disinfect the areas of infested rats. The department will focus on labourers working with water bodies and other infected spots. “Special priority will be given to MGNREGA workers. These workers are more vulnerable to the disease. The infected rats may urinate in drains and ponds. When the workers come in contact with these, they will also get infected. So far, the door-to-door visits and awareness campaigns have not been very successful. We are planning to conduct campaigns at work sites also,” District Medical Officer Dr R Sudhakaran said.Jaundice Deaths Ruled OutMeanwhile, the Health officials denied media reports of deaths owing to jaundice on Monday. “The deaths were due to alcoholic cirrhousis. Alcoholic Cirrhousis is one of those diseases where jaundice may be one of the symptoms in its final stages. When the disease reaches its final stages, the liver gets affected and that may cause jaundice also,” said Additional District Medical Officer Haseena Muhammad.A total of 530 cases of jaundice have been reported from the district in the last two months. This includes 5 deaths, 115 confirmed cases and 410 suspected cases. The Chief Minister has directed the district panchayat to provide an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh for the relatives of the five persons and financial health for those reported with the disease to continue treatment in both government and private hospitals, the district panchayat said.
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