Kerala floods: 3 weeks of high alert issued in lieu of leptospirosis outbreak

Kochi: In lieu of the outbreak of leptospirosis disease that claimed lives of 12 people in flood-hit Kerala, State Health Minister KK Shailaja Teacher called a review meeting at Kozhikode, the district from where the most number of such cases have been reported.

At least 10 people have died between August 1 to September 2 from Leptospirosis. In addition, as many as 302 confirmed and 719 suspected cases of the bacterial disease have also been reported in the state since August 1, most of them in Kozhikode district.

Following the review meeting, the health minister declared high alert for three weeks. "Kerala would be on high alert for next three weeks but there is nothing to panic. All hospitals are equipped with enough stocks of medicine. Even though there were wide advisories after the flood, people were reluctant to consume precautionary tablets. As more cases have been reported from Kozhikode district, an isolated war-room will be set up in Kozhikode medical college," he said.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects both humans and animals. It infects human when they come in direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with a urine-contaminated environment. Some of the early symptoms of the disease include high fever, muscle pain, headache, redness of the eye, vomiting, diarrhoea among others.

Kerala witnessed incessant rain and worst floods in a century. The deadly monsoon rains savaged the state with heavy rain and severe floods. The rain and floods claimed 231 lives since August 8 in the second spell of the monsoon.

(With inputs from agencies)