After floods, health crisis in Gujarat

[Snowy Owl]

After floods, health crisis in Gujarat
Team DNA
Friday, August 25, 2006 00:03 IST
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1049285

AHMEDABAD/SURAT:



The flood water has left behind a viral epidemic in Gujarat with 40,000 cases reported in Ahmedabad in five days. ?About 2,000 to 5,000 cases of viral fever are being reported daily in city hospitals,? said Dr SP Kulkarni, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.


Surat is also affected, with 9 deaths in two days, though officials maintain there is no fear of an epidemic. Panic had gripped the city on Wednesday after the death of two people by haemorrhagic pneumonia. Some reports claimed authorities had issued a health warning. However, SR Rao, principal secretary in urban development department, denied the reports. ?I am certain that there is no plague scare.?


In Ahmedabad, a special drive has been launched to check the fever. ?About 1,000 paramedical staff will go house-to-house to give medicines,? Municipal Commissioner IP Gautam said.

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[Snowy Owl]

Re: After floods, health crisis in Gujarat

Surat issues health warning over suspected Hantavirus
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1776384,000900040003.htm

A health warning has been issued in Gujarat's flood-ravaged Surat city following two deaths due to suspected Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Hantavirus spreads through rat urine, droppings or saliva and affects the kidneys, lungs, pulmonary system or the heart.


The warning was issued late Wednesday and people have been asked to take precautions and avoid large gatherings since the possibility of contracting the virus is high.


Vikas Desai, head of the preventive social medicine department, said two people - Dipak Tarsariya (24) and Kanji Ghaskata (36), both residents of Katargam area in Surat, died due to the disease.


Desai, however, ruled out the possibility of plague in the city.


"Tests have not revealed any plague symptoms so far. Serum samples collected from the patients have been sent to the New Delhi-based National Institute of Communicable Diseases for further tests," said Desai.


After the weeklong deluge, people began fleeing the city in large numbers fearing epidemics. Memories of the 1994 plague continue to haunt the people of Surat and not too many are ready to take any chances.


Meanwhile, the rains and flooding in Gujarat has also led to an outbreak of chikungunya across the state, especially in Ahmedabad.
Chikungunya is a relatively rare form of viral fever caused by bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.


Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner I.P. Gautam put the figure of such cases at 2,500. He said all 43 urban health centres in the city were assigned the task of distributing chikungunya medicines. Sixty-two mobile dispensaries have also been allocated for the purpose.


The corporation has also set up a special round-the-clock control room, and around 1,000 municipal workers are carrying out a door-to-door survey and awareness campaign.

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[Snowy Owl]

Re: After floods, health crisis in Gujarat

No plague in Surat, Chikungunya widespread in Ahmedabad
http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=11173

Ahmedabad, Aug 24 (IANS) The Gujarat government Thursday evening denied any existence of plague in the south Gujarat city of Surat.

Following the news of two deaths due to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in the last two days in Surat, rumours of plague spread across the state, forcing Chief Minister Narendra Modi to rush to Surat early Thursday morning.

He held urgent meeting with officials of health department there.

The officials maintained that the spread of epidemic and existence of plague in Surat were nothing but rumours.

Meanwhile, the administration has been put on alert following the deaths caused by suspected HPS.

According to the head of the preventive social medicine department Vikas Desai, that the tests did not reveal any plague symptoms.

Desai said the report of the serum and blood samples sent to the New Delhi based National Institute of Communicable Diseases was awaited.

After the weeklong deluge, people began fleeing the city in large numbers fearing epidemics. Memories of the 1994 plague continue to haunt the people of Surat and not too many are ready to take any chances.

Meanwhile, the rains and flooding in Gujarat have also led to an outbreak of chikungunya across the state, especially in the capital.

Chikungunya is a relatively rare form of viral fever caused by bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

By Thursday evening, 5,755 cases of the diseases were reported in the government and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation hospitals and dispensaries, said an official.

There was, however, no count of cases that might have reported in private hospitals in the city.

According to the city municipal commissioner I.P. Gautam, 43 urban health centres were assigned the task of distributing chikungunya medicines.
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[Snowy Owl]

Re: After floods, health crisis in Gujarat

Surat issues epidemic warning
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=4&articleid=8242006213619765824200621369500

Civic authorities fear two post-flood deaths may have been caused by Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome that spreads through rat excreta



Surat/Ahmedabad: After a week-long deluge, life is still far from normal for people in Surat.

A health warning was issued in the flood-ravaged region on Wednesday following two deaths suspected to be caused by Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome ?a disease that spreads through rat urine, droppings or saliva. The deadly virus affects the kidneys, lungs, pulmonary system and the heart.

People have been asked to take precautions and avoid large gatherings since the possibility of contracting the virus is high.

Vikas Desai, head of the preventive social medicine department, said Dipak Tarsariya (24) and Kanji Ghaskata (36), both residents of Katargam area in Surat, died due to the disease. Desai, however, ruled out the possibility of plague in the city.

?Tests have not revealed any plague symptoms so far. Serum samples collected from the patients have been sent to the New Delhi?s National Institute of Communicable Diseases for further tests,? said Desai.

The rains and flooding in Gujarat have also led to an outbreak of chikungunya, especially in Ahmedabad. Chikungunya is a relatively rare form of viral fever caused by bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam put the figure of such cases at 2,500. He said all 43 urban health centres in the city have been assigned the task of distributing chikungunya medicines.

The corporation has also set up a special round-the-clock control room, and around 1,000 municipal workers are carrying out a door-to-door survey and awareness campaign.
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