Thiruvananthapuram: A 47-year-old resident of Kerala's Thrissur district died on Sunday due to West Nile fever. This marks the first death in the southern state from the vector-borne infection in the last three years. Following the incident, the state health department took proactive measures, including deputing a team to the victim's locality, issuing directions for the general public to identify and destroy mosquito breeding sites, and taking samples from different parts of the district.
The victim, as per information, developed symptoms, including fever, on May 17 after he had received treatment in several hospitals. The disease was finally confirmed in Medical College, Thrissur. A health department release said "A special team from the medical office visited the locality of the victim and the district vector control board took samples from various parts of the district for testing. Steps were taken to destroy the mosquito breeding sites in the locality. Importance should be given to destroying the mosquito breeding sites everywhere".
Health minister Veena George urged 'individuals' to "take responsibility and clean their residential areas". She further said that "clogged drains and stagnant water should be cleared,". The disease was first recorded in Kerala back in 2011. The West Nile fever is spread by Culex mosquitoes and was detected for the first time in Uganda back in 1937. In 2019, a six-year-old boy died due to the disease in the state's Malappuram district, which, till today's death, was the last known fatality.
(With agency inputs)
