KHAMMAM: With the arrival of the monsoon, people of erstwhile Khammam district, particularly those in the agency areas and remote villages, are worried about the spread of dengue, malaria and viral fevers.
A health official from Bhadradri Kothagudem district said about 108 cases of malaria, seven cases of dengue and hundreds of virus fever cases have been reported in the district.
A double whammy of the raging pandemic and the onset of seasonal diseases are giving sleepless nights to the people, who are urging the State government to take measures to prevent the occurrence of seasonal diseases. Due to lack of precautions undertaken, Malaria and viral fevers are rampant every year in the agency area of both Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam districts. Hundreds succumb to these ailments every monsoon. Three years ago, about 24 people had died of dengue in Bonkal mandal alone in Khammam.
Malaria and viral fevers have been especially spreading in agency areas and remote habitations. District malaria officer M Venkateswara Rao said, “We have identified 297 high risk habitations in the district and will begin indoor residual spraying from June 15. We are going to distribute about 1,63,000 mosquito nets to 74,000 families at 501 high risk habitations.
We are appealing to the people to observe every Friday as a ‘dry day,’ when they can clean stagnant water in and around their houses.” Rao added that officials were also conducting a rapid fever survey in all 431 revenue villages in the district. Medical teams are going door-to-door to provide medicines if any one has a fever.