AGARTALA, Nov 23 � After a lull, the deadly malaria (PF) is back in different tribal hamlets in Tripura�s Dhalai district triggering panic among the indigenous people. However, there is no death reported due to malaria yet.
According to official figures, altogether 29 PF patients are admitted in Gandacherra subdivisional hospital on Sunday and more patients are likely to flock to different hospitals.
Anopheles Minimus, a mosquito strain, which remains active round the year in Gandacherra subdivision is the main carrier of the deadly PF virus and is DDT resistant. The only option is to spray delta metrin which could eliminate the malaria carrier mosquito. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Bhashkar Dasgupta, who held a meeting on Saturday to review the situation, laid stress on spraying of delta metrin on war-footing to bring the malaria situation under control in tribal-dominated belts.
�Since the stock of delta metrin is limited here, the SDMO was asked to procure the insecticide so that we could go for a massive spray to destroy the killer mosquito�, the SDM said.
Incomplete medication is the main reason behind the return of malaria in tribal hamlets. Besides, after staying at makeshift hut (tang ghar) for four to five months, jhumias returned back to home and started contracting fever. This is another reason behind the sudden increase in the PF cases.
To tackle the situation, the SDM has asked the health workers to undertake house to house surveillance, arrange additional malaria detection kits and enough stock of medicines.
Besides, the administration has already started using fogging as part of precautionary measures to control the menace. However, the fogging machines fell short to carry out the massive task.
Earlier this year, around 90 patients died of malaria across the State while 20,000 people mostly tribal population were infected with the deadly disease.
