All medical practitioners in Tamil Nadu have been advised to look for suspected cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis based on history and symptoms. Suspected cases must be referred to tertiary care hospitals for treatment, said T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, on Sunday.
The symptoms include meningitis like headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, hallucination, confusion, and seizures. Kerala has been reporting amoebic meningoencephalitis or a few weeks now. Dr. Selvavinaygam said children should be strictly advised against swimming or bathing in stagnant, dirty, or polluted water.
The department has instructed the district health officials that environmental sanitation should be maintained around stagnant waterbodies, such as ponds, lakes, and pools. Swimming pools must be chlorinated adequately. It should be over 2.5 ppm at all times in high- and high-risk areas.
The advisory has been sent to all district health officials, Dr. Selvavinayagam said.
Published - July 07, 2024 10:23 pm IST
