Tamil Nadu has witnessed a significant decline in the number of malaria cases, and health department officials are now aiming to eradicate the mosquito-borne disease by 2023.
“One needn’t look too far back, even in the last two years if you see, the number of cases of malaria which we have seen have come down drastically. We have taken efforts to ensure that preventive measures are implemented. The government has arranged for regular spraying of pesticides in mosquito borne areas in both rural and urban regions. Awareness and education has also been raised about how malaria is spread, and this has helped bring down the numbers largely,” explains one official from the health department, adding that the public too is more receptive and compliant in implementing the suggestions given by health officials.
The data from the state health department also corroborates this. The number of cases of malaria reported in 2018 had fallen to 3758 from over 15,000 cases in 2013. As of February this year, less than 100 cases of malaria have been reported in the entire state.
Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by the anopheles mosquito which is the primary vector of the disease. It is caused by parasite species from the plasmodium family. There are four types of malaria classified according to the parasite which causes the disease: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malaria, and Plasmodium ovale. Of these, p.vivax and p.falciparum are most commonly seen in Tamil Nadu.
The most common symptoms of malaria are fever, chills and rigors, present for more than a week, and a rise in temperature at night time is seen in some people. Blood tests will help reveal the presence of malarial parasites in an individual after which the correct treatment can be started. Depending on the type of malarial parasite an individual is affected with, the medication will vary.