Thiruvananthapuram: Five people died of rat fever in the state on Monday. The deceased have been identified as Kozhikode natives Anil, 54; Narayani, 80; and Ravi, 59; Pathanamthitta native Ranju and Thodupzuha native Joseph Mathew, 58.
Eight more suspected cases were reported in Kozhikode, the district worst affected by the epidemic, on Monday. Rat fever or leptospirosis is an infection contracted through contaminated water.
Two sanitation workers die
Two workers involved in clean-up operations after the deluge in Kerala succumbed to rat fever on Sunday. The sanitation volunteers have been identified as Kumari, 48, of Aimuri, Perumbavoor, and Suresh, 36, from Vellikulangara, Chalakudy.
Kumari was engaged in cleaning operations at several houses at Koovapady, Perumbavoor and Nedumbassery. One Ambrose of North Paravur is the second rat fever casualty reported from Ernakulam district on Sunday. Twelve more have been confirmed with the disease in the central district.
Other casualties
In Kozhikode district, four rat fever deaths were reported on Sunday. The deceased are: Salim Shah, 42, of Mukkam; Sumesh, 45, from Vengeri; Ujesh, 38, of Vadakara; and one Ravi of Kallayi. Thirteen more have been confirmed infected with the disease in the district which was recovering after a bout of Nipah fever. Moreover, 25 cases are having symptoms of the disease.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Poojapura native Aiyyappan Chettiyar, 67, who was under treatment at the Medical College Hospital after developing rat fever symptoms, died on Sunday. He had reportedly contacted the disease when he travelled to Ernakulam to visit his granddaughter during the flood.
Fifty-four people are under medical care at the Thrissur Medical College Hospital with symptoms of rat fever. There were 32 admissions on Sunday alone, of which 14 have been confirmed as having the disease.
Among other patients who died on Sunday are Nirmala, 50, of Mundoor in Palakkad, and Sreedevi, 44, of Chamravattom in Malappuram. The death of Balakrishnan, 70, of Palappuram in Palakkad is suspected to be from rat fever.
Death toll in Malappuram has risen to seven in one month, and 14 are confirmed to have contacted the infection. Another 44 are under watch. Three people are under observation with suspected symptoms in Alappuzha, and two in Kottayam.
One more has been confirmed as having rat fever in Kasaragod district.
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