2000 malaria cases reported in Mandla this year

Apart from battling dengue and swine flu outbreaks in the state, the Madhya Pradesh health department is now worried over a malaria outbreak in the tribal district of Mandla.

Updated on: Oct 25, 2015, 18:41:43 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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Apart from battling dengue and swine flu outbreaks in the state, the Madhya Pradesh health department is now worried over a malaria outbreak in the tribal district of Mandla.

The district has reported around 2,000 malaria cases this year, with 314 cases in October alone.

Of these 314 cases, 250 are malaria falciparum cases, the more virulent malaria.

Malaria caused by the protozoan plasmodium falciparum (called Pf) is more dangerous and causes maximum malaria deaths. Six people have died in the district this year from malaria, according to health officials.

Overall, around 30,000 malaria cases have been reported in the state since January 1 this year, out of which over 9,000 are pf cases, says the website of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme. Till August this year, nine malaria deaths had been reported in MP.

Last year, MP had registered 96,879 malaria cases, of which 41,638 were Pf cases. In 2014, 26 malaria deaths were reported in the state.

Sources revealed that during the recent review meeting on the situation of dengue and swine flu in the state, principal secretary health Gauri Singh directed the officials to monitor the malaria situation as well, especially in Mandla.

Expressing her concern over high number of cases in the Mandla district, she asked senior officials to visit the worst-affected areas. A senior health official has already reached Mandla and is taking stock of the situation in the district.

Chief medical and health officer Dr KC Meshram said there was a surge in malaria cases in some areas of Mandla district, like Nainpur block.

“This year, over 2,000 malaria cases were detected in the district, with 314 in October alone. We are monitoring the situation and trying our best to check its spread. The patients are being provided treatment and a large number of them have already recovered,” he said.

Former district malaria officer (DMO) Mandla BM Varun said due to geographical reasons like dense forests and presence of rivers and water bodies, Mandla registers a large number of malaria cases.

“Also, tribals don’t cover their bodies fully, which makes them more susceptible to mosquito bites,” he said.

Malaria is a potentially life threatening parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium viviax (Pv), Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale. Once bitten by an infected female Anopheles mosquito, the person develops malaria within 10 to 14 days.

The outbreak

Mandla district has reported around 2,000 malaria cases this year, with 314 cases in October alone

Around 30,000 malaria cases have been reported in the state since January 1 this year

Last year, MP had registered 96,879 cases, of which 41,638 were malaria falciparum cases.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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