KERALA IN GRIP OF VIRAL FEVER, 103 DEAD

Thiruvananthapuram: With over 100 deaths being reported since January in Kerala due to various types of fevers, government appealed to the people to join the government’s mass sanitation drive on a war footing. According to health department sources here, as many as 103 people, including women and children, have succumbed to various types of fevers including H1N1, leptospirosis and dengue from January till date. Of the total 103 deaths, 53 people have died of H1N1 and 13 due to dengue, the sources said. Breeding of mosquitoes due to piling of waste was considered to be prime reason for the spread of fever and other communicable diseases, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, adding social hygiene was essential to keep diseases at bay. “Political party activists, representatives of local self government institutions and members of socio-cultural outfits and clubs should take part in the sanitation drive on war footing,” he said. Stating that the government had stepped up its sanitation drive, Mr Vijayan said fever cases have reduced in those places where waste management and mosquito control measures have been implemented effectively.