Kerala: Diphtheria resurfaces in Malappuram

MALAPPURAM: After a long interval, the dreadful

Diphtheria

disease has re-emerged in

Malappuram district

.


Two high school students from the district have been admitted to Government Medical College Hospital,

Kozhikode

, with diphtheria, and another student is under observation at

Government Medical College, Manjeri

.

Mohammed Hidash, 14 from Kuzhimanna near Kondotty, and Mohammed Sinan, 13, from Nellikkuthu near Manjeri, were confirmed to have contracted diphtheria. Rinshad, 13 from Kodur near

Kottakkal

, is under observation at Medical College, Manjeri, with symptoms of diphtheria.

According to medical officials, all of them were inmates of a private orphanage at Pappinippara near Manjeri. District Medical Officer (DMO) K. Sakeena said that that the students had been partially vaccinated. It is learnt that the health condition of the students was stable. She said health authorities have begun counter measures to check the spread of the disease.

Following the re-emergence of Diphtheria in the district in 2017, vaccination and awareness drive against Diphtheria were re-started in the region. Apart from two deaths due to Diphtheria, more than thirty confirmed Diphtheria cases had also been reported in the district in 2017. Two deaths due to Diphtheria had reported in the district also in 2016. The number of confirmed case reported in 2016 was 42 and the number of suspected case was 248. The disease was reported in Edavanna, Vandur, Pookottur Thavanur, Chungathara,

Omanoor

, Valavannur and Mankada blocks.