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DK, Shimoga dists chosen for pilot project on leptospirosis

Last Updated 24 February 2011, 18:37 IST

Leptospirosis which is caused by a micro organism - Spirochete is more prominently found in the coastal district due to more rainfall and high solidity level.

The peak season being June to December, the disease mostly affects the farmers, field and sewage workers.

According to the documents available in the Health Department, as many as 98 cases of Leptospirosis affected individuals have been registered in the year 2010 in Dakshina Kannada district alone, including four death cases depicting the severity of the disease, while Shimoga too has registered nearly 90 cases.

Comprehensive study

After taking up a comprehensive study of the disease in both these districts, NCDC backed by World Health Organisation (WHO) has chosen these two districts to execute action plan to control Leptospirosis on pilot project basis.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Dakshina Kannada District Health Officer Dr O R Srirangappa said, a team consisting of the District Surveillance Officer, a Microbiologist, two physicians and a veterinary doctor have already undergone the training in Bangalore this month which was conducted by Dr U V S Rana from NCDC.

“These trained experts will in turn train the doctors, staff nurse, auxiliary nurse midwives and lab technicians so as to bring awareness to control the disease. If we go by the count there are 63 Primary Health Centres, 10 Community Health Centres, one general hospital and a district hospital in Dakshina Kannada. All together we have chosen 800 staff who will be divided into various batches and will be provided training from next month onwards,” he said.

CMD Dr T S Cheluvaraju said the basic idea of initiating the pilot project is to inform the doctors to make provisional treatment, to take up preventive measures and to understand the case management. The Central Government has allotted Rs 39.60 lakh for both districts to implement the project and thus the disease can be controlled to some extent, CMD informed.

Strong need

He claimed that there is a strong need to strengthen the lab technicians as most of the times lab technicians fail to recognise the disease. Soon after, the general public too would be informed to take precautionary measures, he said.

As the training will be completed within the month of April in both the districts, NCDC has made it a point to control the spread of the disease as the monsoon arrives. 

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(Published 24 February 2011, 18:37 IST)

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