Sindhudurg to get state’s first infectious disease lab
The facility will work on 13 types of illness and keep a detailed record
The first Infectious disease research laboratory in Maharashtra will soon be started in Sindhudurg district, where cases of monkey fever and deaths have been reported recently.
The Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), which is commonly known as monkey fever and spreads through parasitic ticks latched on to monkeys, claimed 11 lives so far this year.
State Health Minister Dr. Deepak Sawant said, “There should be proper coordination over KFD as the infection spreads through monkeys and many people have lost their lives due to this disease.”
Dr. Sawant, said that the laboratory will consist of various pathology department and will be working on different types of diseases. “In the Infectious Research Laboratory, four departments such as microbiology, bacteriological department, blood sample study department and molecular division, are going to be created.
The lab will work on 13 types of diseases and keep a detailed record of it,” added Dr. Sawant.
He also instructed the officials to complete the generator facility and the pending work of the laboratory which will enable the lab to get uninterrupted power supply.
“The lab will have very low temperature storage facilities for preservation for which it requires a continue power supply,” added Dr. Sawant.
Dr. Satish Pawar, the Director of Directorate of Health Services said that most of the cases have been reported from the Sindhudurg area and to prevent this disease everyone need to work together. “For curing this disease the officials from different departments including forest departments should cooperate and work together,” added Dr. Pawar.
Dr. Pawar further stated the villages in Dodamarg and Sawantwadi tehsils in Sindhudurg are the worst hit by the KFD.
Around 3000 people have already been vaccinated in the area as a preventive measure. “A repellent oil is also being made available to people so that they can avoid tick bites,” said Dr. Pawar.