In a bid to curb the rising tide of viral fever deaths, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu today announced a ‘‘five-day cleanliness and awareness drive’’ in Andhra Pradesh, starting on July 14, to end the menace of mosquitoes and pigs which transmit the deadly virus to human beings.Spelling out these plans while interacting with people through Saptagiri channel of Doordarshan and Ku band from the state Secretariat, Naidu wanted everyone to realise that a health emergency was on in the state. He urged people to do their best to help the government contain the contagion-like spread of viral fevers which had so far claimed 84 lives and necessitated hospitalisation of 157 children. Naidu also announced Rs 5,000 to each panchayat for the programme. Viral deaths in Nagpur NAGPUR: Even as the National Institute of Communicable Diseases team arrived for investigation into the viral encephalitis deaths in Vidarbha and adjoining areas, two more children succumbed in Nagpur.on Thursday night, taking the toll to 29.Five more are still convalescing. The NICD team immediately left for Chandrapur where some cases have been found. In fact, viral encephalitis cases have been found in all districts of Nagpur Division, except Gadchiroli. (ENS) Later at a news conference, Naidu said the state government would import 10 lakh doses of Japanese encephalitis vaccine for administration to healthy children.Earlier, experts in virology and communicable diseases gave an account of the preventive measures children and their parents should take.
