Over 100 cases of viral fever, joint pain reported in Kushtagi village

KOPPAL: Over 100 people in Nerebenchi village in Kushtagi taluk have been diagnosed with viral fever and joint pains, leaving the villagers anxious about the contagion. The viral fever, accompanied by joint pain, has been spreading over a month in the village.

Following the outbreak, the health authorities have set up a camp at a temple and are offering medical treatment to the affected villagers. Those severly affected are being administered saline through intravenous injection.

It is suspected that contaminated water and the mosquito menace could be the cause for the spread of the viral fever. Tahsildar Ravi Angadi visited the village on Thursday and took stock of the treatment being administered.

He was also briefed by the taluk health officer and instructed the health officials to shift the severely affected to the taluk hospital. Villagers highlighted to the tahsildar the problem of water contamination and the mosquito menace.

District Health Office Dr T Lingaraju also visited the village and directed the health staff to take precautionary measures. The situation is now under control, he said. “Fever and larva surveys are being carried out and blood samples have been sent for testing. One round of fogging is also being done”, he added.