Representative image of communicable diseases.
Credit; iStock photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is under the grip of communicable diseases like dengue, leptospirosis, H1N1 and cholera.
As many as 173 more dengue cases were confirmed in the state on Friday taking the total cases confirmed during the last 12 days of this month to 1,530. Two patients have died.
Twenty-two more leptospirosis cases were confirmed during the day taking this month's total to 146. Four deaths due to the disease were reported during the day, adding up to a total ten deaths now.
44 new H1N1 cases were also reported today and two people died due to the disease. Total number of H1N1 cases recorded so far this month is 416 and total death toll seven.
Four fresh cholera cases were also confirmed on Friday taking the total cases reported in the last few days to 12. All cholera cases are reported at a care home for special children at Neyyattinkara of the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram.
Health minister Veena George said that effective measures to prevent the spread of cholera and formation of new clusters were being taken. All inmates of the care home are kept under observation.
Even as the state health authorities are maintaining that the increase in communicable diseases was due to the monsoon and climate changes, the government is also facing criticisms of failing to carry out pre-monsoon cleaning drives effectively.
There are also concerns in the tourism and hospitality industries that the increasing communicable diseases would hit those sectors.