Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network–Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Oct 15: The recent outbreak of rat fever in Kundapur has been a cause for concern among locals. A woman reportedly affected by it died here. Ravi, a youth from Koteshwar is also suspected to have died due to it on Wednesday. The fever had created anxiety in Thekkatte Kumbhasi earlier.

Though the epidemic is spreading rapidly for months, effective awareness is lacking.

Kundapur taluk medical officer has said that awareness programme, sprinkling of medicine to the wells in the affected areas and preventive measures among farmers in the affected areas are being undertaken.

There are allegations that the administrative machinery has failed to contain the fever. Most people affected by the fever only go to medical shops and obtain medicine. Therefore the epidemic has spread.

The germs of the fever come out through the urine of affected rats. They enter human bodies through injuries in legs or through drinking water. The fever spreads easily in paddy fields, rice mills and forest areas with dry leaves. The germs are also found in bandicoots, cats, dogs and some other wild animals. The germs in them mix with water through their faeces and urine. The germs also enter human bodies through drinking water.

The fever appears within 4 days and the symptoms are muscles pain, body pain, pain in the head, bleeding from the mouth, nose and urinary infection.