3,085 active filariasis cases in erstwhile Khammam

Khammam: There are a total of 3,085 active filariasis cases in erstwhile Khammam district as of September 14, 2021, said the district health officials, with as many as 2,816 cases in Khammam district alone. However, with the State government’s efforts to eradicate lymphatic filariasis from the State, the disease is showing a declining trend in […]

Khammam: There are a total of 3,085 active filariasis cases in erstwhile Khammam district as of September 14, 2021, said the district health officials, with as many as 2,816 cases in Khammam district alone.

However, with the State government’s efforts to eradicate lymphatic filariasis from the State, the disease is showing a declining trend in the district with lesser number of cases being reported for the past five years.

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In a filaria survey conducted in Kothagudem district in 2016, a total of 38 new cases were reported, in 2018 the cases reported came down to 15. In 2020, around 24 cases have been reported and 5 cases were reported in 2021.

At present 269 patients are receiving Aasara pension in the limits of 28 PHCs, District Malaria Officer Dr M Venkateshwar Rao said. The grade-wise details are as follows; grade-one: 21 cases, grade-two: 76 and grade-three: 172 cases in the district.

The incidence of filariasis has been high in Tirumalayapalem, Kusumanchi, Mudigonda, Nelakondapalli and Chintakani mandals of Khammam district but now the number of cases are coming down, according to district medical and health office sources

Khammam health officials, who have only primary health centre (PHC) wise data of the patients, stated that the highest number of 522 filaria patients were in the limits of Sudlaidu PHC, followed by Kusumanchi with 518 patients, Tirumalayapalem with 390 cases and Manchukonda has 287 cases.

Teegalabanjar and Gubbagurthy PHCs have one case each. Khammam district’s grade-wise details are as follows; grade-one: 480 cases, grade-two: 695 and grade-three: 1031 cases and there are 610 cases without grade, officials informed.

As part of the State government’s initiative to eliminate lymphatic filariasis, the health department conducted a two-day Mass Drug Administration (MDA) drive on July 15 and 17 in Khammam, which is one of the 14 endemic districts in the State.

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