Tripura malaria outbreak: Six dead; ‘epidemic’ is controlled, says Health Minister

“The spike in malaria cases might have been caused by an early monsoon. There was scope for mosquito breeding in the stagnant water”, Roy Barman said.

Those who succumbed to the malaria outbreak include a 26-year-old female and five children who were below 10 years of age. More than one lakh people were screened in different hospitals and healthcare institutions across the state in the last six months. Among them, 7,991 were found infected with malaria, 40 with Japanese Encephalitis, 40 with dengue, 49 patients were found suffering from chikungunya and a patient suffering with swine flu.

“The outbreak was extensive but we were able to ensure institutional treatment, timely medication and follow up due to which the disease could be controlled”, the health minister told reporters.

Earlier in 2014, 96 persons died in a massive outbreak of malaria in Tripura. Roy Barman admitted that the outbreak this year was similar to 2014 but has been controlled.

It is announced that the government would organise a series of health camps in different districts, especially Dhalai which is worst hit, to check further outbreak. A special medical team would be dispatched with a chopper to Dhalai district Tuesday to take stock of the situation.