MOKOKCHUNG, NOV 19 (DIPR): Civil Surgeon Mokokchung, Dr. Yangerla Ao and Medical Superintendent of Dr. Imkongliba Memorial Civil Hospital, Mokokchung issued a joint press release today where it was stated that recently some section of the local media has been reporting outbreak of fever and apprehension of bird flu in Mokokchung and the hospital being flooded by cases of fever and many succumbing to the disease.
In this regard, the Hospital Authority and the Local Health Authority stated that the following information to dispel the ongoing rumors: since the beginning of Oct’2005, there have been an increasing number of fever patients reported to the hospital. As on 18.11.05, 79 cases of fever were admitted including cases from neighbouring districts, out of which 15 cases were diagnosed as suffering from Malaria and 13 cases from Typhoid.
The remaining 51 cases were fever of unknown origin (PUO) out of which 9 succumbed to the disease, as the name suggests, the cause of the fever could not be ascertained despite being subjected to a battery of tests, QBC, Vidal test, Typhoid, KFT, LFT, Blood Sugar, Chest ex-ray, Sputum for AFB, Montoux test and CSF analysis.
The present status of fever cases requiring admission is declining but the out patient department (OPT) attendance of fever patients still remains the same.
The blood sample of those admitted patients are being collected to facilitate further analysis as per norms of outbreak investigation.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement District Veterinary & AH Officer Mokokchung, Dr. Pangertoshi today stated that there have been no cases of bird flu in the district as speculated recently.
In regard to the suspected epidemic of bird flu, the department has deployed its personnel in different pockets and villages and found that there is no indication or reported cases of sickness or death of domestic/ viral or wild bird within the district.
Besides, there is no known activity or death of any known migratory birds that carry the dreaded Avian Flu virus (H5N1).
The release said that the Department is minutely observing any signs of occurrence of bird flu in the district/state round the clock and has appealed to the general public not to panic on the false alarm of the suspected outbreak of this disease in the district.
The release further stated that any incident on the sickness or death of domestic/viral/wild birds in and around the locality should be immediately notified/reported to the nearest Veterinary Institution.
As regard to the recent death of wild boars in the district, the Department suspects the cause of death to be swine fever related deaths as there was a recent epidemic of swine fever in the district/state.
