MALDA, Feb. 5: Kala-azar has surfaced in some of the tribal dominated areas of Malda district. Although the health department does not have a ready figure of the number of current victims, 513 persons were identified affected by the disease in the district in 2008.
“It is difficult to say how many people are suffering from the disease now. Surveillance report for the month of January will reach us by the second week of this month,” the deputy CMOH II, Malda, Dr D Halder said.
The health department has identified five persons suffering from the disease in the three villages of Jamdanga, Babupur and Malancha in the tribal dominated Gazol block. The health department has termed the three villages as ‘high risk’ areas. No entomological survey has been conducted in the Kala-azar affected villages in the past five years.
According to figures provided by the health department, 218 persons were affected by the disease last year in Gazol block. The study reveals that 57 per cent of the victims were male and the rest 43 per cent were female. Interestingly, 53 per cent victims were above 14 years of age.
The chief medical officer of health, Malda Dr Srikanta Roy said: “In addition to Malda, tribals in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts are also suffering from Kala-azar. We are providing requisite treatment and conducting door to door surveys.” In Malda, this deadly parasitic disease affects people mostly from April to June. The district health officials had detected 96 cases (highest) in April 2008.
According to the health department officials, sand fly bites and migrant labourers are sources of the disease.
n SNS
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