Daijiworld Media Network–Karkala (EP)

Karkala, Jun 6: Dengue fever has been spreading in Mala and Nalluru border areas of Western Ghats. It has already claimed lives of Srishala Jain (34), Nalluru resident and Vinutha (18), Mala resident in a week. 

While 21 people are infected by the epidemic, 69 others are suspected of it. The number of inflected people is increasing day by day. 

“Mala and Nalluru being villages in the border of Western Ghats, the number of tourists going from Mala to Kudremukha, Kalasa, Koppa, Sringeri, Dharmasthala and other towns is more. It is possible that the infection is spread through them,” said taluk health officer Krishnananda Shetty.

The infected people have been admitted to main hospitals in Karkala. Dengue fever virus spreads through aedes mosquito. The symptoms are sudden high fever, pain in the forehead, red eyes, extreme pain in the eye balls, pain in the joints, blood from teeth, gums and nose. There can be giddiness and vomiting sensation also. It can be controlled if the patient gets immediate medical attention. 

Preventing production of mosquitoes by covering overhead tanks without gaps, covering cement tanks, buckets and barrels so that mosquitoes do not enter, cleaning them every week, disposing of waste from near the house, leaving guppy fish in wells and tanks, destroying larva when found, sprinkling mosquito destroyers in places where water remains stagnant and mosquito nets are some of the measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of the epidemic.