THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state capital is on high alert after amoebic meningoencephalitis cases were reported in many parts of the district. On Sunday too, one person tested positive for the rare infection in Navaikulam grama panchayat, taking the active cases in the district to four.
Polluted ponds and waterbodies, considered the main source of the disease, are under scanner and all local bodies been directed to clean them up immediately.
Officials of the Navaikulam grama panchayat, which is home to around 50,000 people, have stepped up surveillance and convened an emergency meeting with the district medical officer (DMO) on Tuesday to launch a detailed study on the waterbodies under it.
“The panchayat committee has decided to launch a comprehensive study on the outbreak of the disease. Two cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis were reported earlier in one of the wards and a new case was reported on Sunday. People in the lower strata of the society are affected by the disease and hence, we have decided to take the matter up seriously,” said Vikraman Pillai, panchayat secretary.
The local body is planning to tie up with research institutions after getting expert opinion from DMO.
Pillai said there are umpteen waterbodies in the panchayat and they are planning a comprehensive study.
“Just cleaning up the waterbodies won’t help. We need to expand surveillance and have decided to get experts’ help to study whether the disease can spread through ground water. Areas within a minimum 200-m radius of every waterbody in the panchayat will be screened,” Pillai said.
Another panchayat official said the waterbodies are overflowing due to the rain, increasing chances of spread. Meanwhile, the district panchayat, the district medical office and district administration have launched joint awareness campaign across Thiruvananthapuram.
District panchayat president Suresh Kumar said a circular has been issued to all local bodies, including municipalities, corporations and grama panchayats, to immediately clean waterbodies under their limits before October 2.
“The cleaning activities are going on in many places. Awareness campaigns asking people to avoid taking bath in ponds and stagnant waterbodies are also going on,” he said.
Thiruvananthapuram district has around 2,144 waterbodies (including ponds, tanks, lakes and reservoirs) in rural areas and 505 in urban areas.
Joint awareness campaign launched
The district panchayat, district medical office and district administration have launched joint awareness campaign across Thiruvananthapuram.
The local body is planning to tie up with research institutions after getting expert opinion from district medical officer
.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress)