AGARTALA, November 24 (TIWN): Following the reports of a fresh outbreak of malaria in the hilly areas of the state recently, the Tripura govt. sent a team as well as medicines on Sunday to take a stock of the situation.

Malaria, which claimed nearly hundred lives during the summer, has returned to the hills of Tripura. At least 65 patients were admitted to a government hospital in Gandacherra of Dhalai district over the past 4 days.

According to the official sources, no death occurred over the past four days. The fresh outbreak has caused concern after unprecedented malaria epidemic in the State caused havoc from June to August this year. More than 100 people died and nearly 15,000 people of all age groups underwent treatment in hospitals in four districts of Tripura.

According to the doctors, the Anopheles minimus mosquito family was responsible for the spread of the disease in winter. The state government has set in action second generation integrated mosquito management through fogging.

The doctors pointed out that the Anopheles minimus mosquitoes had become resistant to DDT a few years ago in interior locations of State, when the mosquitoes began to be dreaded and it could now be controlled by spraying second generation DDT.

Head of the team, Joint Director, preventive medicine, Pranab Chatterjee, said 67 patients, including children, had been shifted to Kanchanpur, Longtarai valley and Gandacherra sub-divisional hospitals over the past four days.

Chatterjee, accompanied by a group of doctors and medical reinforcements, has rushed to tribal dominated villages across the state recently.

The Dhalai district administration and health officials held a meeting on Friday to take stock of the situation. Medical teams were sent mostly to interior places from where new cases were reported.

Investigation of blood samples in the outbreak this year in Dhalai district confirmed mosquito Anopheles Baimai as the reason for spread of the disease. It was put under control through relentless efforts of health department doctors, paramedical staff, volunteers and participation of many NGOs.

Shortage of effective medicines and failure to secure them from pharmaceutical companies aggravated the situation. However, the intervention of the National Health Mission helped in many ways.
The disease had struck Dhalai, north and south Tripura districts in 2013 and 73 people, including 54 children, had died. An estimated 2,000 others were affected by the disease.