AP alert as viral fever toll increases to 87

With 10 children dying due to viral fever in three districts of Andhra Pradesh, the death toll has mounted to 87, even as the state machiner...

With 10 children dying due to viral fever in three districts of Andhra Pradesh, the death toll has mounted to 87, even as the state machinery has been put on high alert to check its spread.

Five deaths were reported from Warangal, four in Karimnagar and one in Ranga Reddy district in the last 24 hours.

Chief Minster N. Chandrababu Naidu announced setting up of a five-member expert committee to conduct an analysis of the suspected viral encephalitis (SVE). The panel is expected to submit its report in a couple of days.

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Naidu, who had earlier announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 50,000 per victim, exempted medical and health staff from taking part in the ongoing Janmabhoomi community development programme. He asked them to be on high alert in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Nalgonda and Nizamabad districts in the Telangana region.

Medical teams from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, and National Institute of Virology, Pune, have collected blood samples to identify the virus and reports are awaited, official sources said.

The state would set up a research and analysis cell to conduct a detailed investigation into the SVE outbreaks reported in certain pockets of the state last year to carry out a comparative study, according to an official release.

The cell would submit its report soon besides advising the Health Department on the measures to contain SVE and other undiagnosed outbreaks, it said.

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