After swine flu, dengue, Chennai witnesses a rat fever death

Doctors confirmed that R Manoharan died of leptospirosis as health officials continue to stress on the importance of maintaining hygiene and avoiding walking bare feet outdoor.

While health officials allege that cases of dengue from across the state have been declining, swine flu cases continue unabated. In order to arrest its growth, the health department plans to introduce a new method known as Reverse Hand Sanitation at all government hospitals and health centres across the state.

Explaining the concept, Dr K Kolandaisamy, the director of department of public health said, “Hospital workers will stand at the gates of every hospital and pour 5 to 10 ml of surgical spirit on the hands of all those who enter and leave hospital – patients, attenders and staff — so that they will not carry any infection back from the hospital.”

He said that the concept is still to take shape and hopes that it helps the state see a dip in the cases immediately. “There has been a drop in dengue cases ever since the last shower but since swine flu cases are yet to decline, we will continue with our measures. Even though some of regions in southern Tamil Nadu have indeed witnessed a dip in such cases, mainly because of the rainfall, but it continues to be a challenge in the city,” Dr Kolandaisamy claimed.

So far, the state has seen over 2,900 confirmed cases of dengue this year, while there have been over 700 cases of swine flu that have been reported across Tamil Nadu since January this year.