Eight new cases of malaria confirmed last week, say health officials

Health workers said the eight cases were reported from areas such as Wazirabad and Pataudi, and that those affected were between 30 and 40 years of age. All the eight cases of malaria were caused by the Plasmodium vivax species of the malaria parasite.

Eight new cases of malaria were confirmed in the past week, according to district health department officials, bringing the total number of cases of the vector-borne disease so far this season (from May till now) to 15.

All the eight cases of malaria were caused by the Plasmodium vivax species of the malaria parasite, which happens to be the most frequent carrier of the disease. (Shutterstock)

Health workers said the eight cases were reported from areas such as Wazirabad and Pataudi, and that those affected were between 30 and 40 years of age. All the eight cases of malaria were caused by the Plasmodium vivax species of the malaria parasite, which happens to be the most frequent carrier of the disease.

No deaths due to complications from malaria have been reported so far in the district, as per the health department. However, the number of cases of malaria this year has been higher than the number of cases till August last year. In 2018, a total of 30 cases of malaria were reported in the district, and only five were confirmed until August.Meanwhile, no case of the dengue haemorrhagic fever has been confirmed so far. Twenty-five suspected cases of dengue have been reported, as per officials.

As per health workers, whenever a case of malaria is reported from an area, blood samples are collected from the neighbouring houses and sent to the health department lab. “Moreover, fogging and anti-larval activities are carried out in the patient’s house,” Dr Ram Prakash Rai, district epidemiologist, said, adding that this year, the number of workers in the surveillance team was increased by more than a dozen, to 60.

A survey done by the MCG to detect the most common breeding spots found that around 4,000 of the 5,000 houses where breeding was found were harbouring the female Anopheles mosquito, the primary vector of malaria.