Southern States - Kerala

Garbage heaps spreading rat fever

By Our Staff Reporter

Heaps of waste accumulated at the municipal market in Pathanamthitta

PATHANAMTHITTA June 5. The official negligence in waste disposal in Pathanamthitta town and elsewhere in the district has reportedly increased the spread of the Weil's disease, better known as rat fever, in different parts of the district.

One person at the ``lakshamveedu'' colony at Omalloor near Pathanamthitta died of the disease two days ago and seven others from the locality are presently undergoing treatment for the disease at various hospitals.

The District Collector, P. S. Enos, and the Health Department authorities had visited the affected areas here the other day. The Collector said that effective steps would be taken to check the spread of the disease.

The outbreak of the disease clinically known as leptospirosis was first reported from Omalloor where a colony man was killed and several were hospitalised with symptoms a few days ago.

Most of the infected persons were said to be those who had gone for fishing in the stagnant filthy waters in a low-lying area near the Regional Transport Office.

According to Sasikumar of Chathekerry Public Health Centre, the leptospirosis is an acute systemic illness characterised by extensive inflammation of the blood vessels. The first symptoms would be abrupt onset of fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting and red eyes, says Dr. Sasikumar.

After a latent period of five to seven days fever, the infection may affect the brain. Good hygiene is a must for prevention of leptospirosis, Dr. Sasikumar says.

Garbage heaps

The Pathanamthitta municipality has been dumping the garbage collected from different parts of the municipal limits in the low-lying areas of the town, posing an epidemic threat to the locality.

Sanitation and general hygiene have been worst affected in the town, especially at the municipal market and the nearby areas of the private bus stand allegedly due to the negligence of the local body in initiating a safe waste disposal mechanism in the municipal limits.

The pollution from the decayed wastes from the slaughter houses and broiler chicken centres, besides heaps of hotel wastes in different parts of the town have been posing serious health hazards.

The negligent attitude of the local bodies in the disposal of wastes has also been posing serious health hazard in Kozhencherry, Thiruvalla, Adoor, Ranni and Konni areas of the district.

The unlawful dumping of hospital wastes and draining out of liquid waste from the hospitals too are said to be more alarming in the towns of Pathanamthitta and Kozhencherry.

However, neither the local body authorities nor the district administration have taken any effective steps to check this pollution menace.

Strangely, the local bodies themselves are often found to be the main culprits in the pollution menace in many parts of the district, especially in Pathanamthitta and Kozhencherry.

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