TIRUNELVELI: Deputy Director of Health Services Meera Mohideen said eight persons have died of dengue in the district so far.
He said the deaths occurred at Kadayanallur, Vadakarai, Tenkasi, Sundarapandiapuram, Surandai, Pavoorchatram, V K Puthur and Muthaliarpatti.
The health department had initiated measures like anti-larva activities, adult mosquito control and fogging in affected areas to control the spread of the fever. Besides, surveillance activities were also undertaken, he added.
Meanwhile, several children aged around 15 years from Tenkasi, Kadayanallur, Alangulam, Kadayam, Pavoorchatram areas and other areas, with symptoms of dengue have been admitted to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.
Separate wards have been opened at Tenkasi and Kadayanallur GHs to treat dengue cases. The dengue outbreak started at Kadayanallur, and had spread to other areas in the district.
Unhygienic drinking water and poor sanitation is suspected to have caused the outbreak of the killer fever.
A woman from Udayampuli said that the affected children turned blue. Another person, whose child was hospitalised since Friday, claimed that six children had died of dengue at the hospital. On Tuesday also one child died, he added.
However, doctors refused to provide details about the toll. Parents of kids at the hospital demanded the authorities to clear the stagnating sewage behind the ward immediately.
On Tuesday, Collector R Selvaraj reviewed the dengue control measures at the hospital. An official said 90 dengue and suspected dengue patients were undergoing treatment at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, 15 at Tenkasi GH and 5 at Kadayanallur GH.