Malaria claims Khopoli man, first victim this year

PUNE: A 58-year-old man died of malaria-induced complications at a private hospital two weeks ago. This is the first reported malaria death in the city this year. Every death due to the disease is a setback to the malaria elimination goal which the state plans to achieve by 2025.
The National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India encourages states to accelerate efforts towards the eradication of the disease.The man developed fever and cough since July 5. As his condition worsened, he was admitted to the Deccan branch of the Sahyadri Hospital on July 8. “He had a high-grade fever and severe nasal inflammation. He tested positive for the Plasmodium vivax strain of malaria,” a doctor of the hospital said.
The man, who hailed from Khopoli, was living in the city for the past few years. According to the doctor, “He had other medical conditions including diabetes and hypertension, which further worsened his condition. He died late on July 10 following multi-organ failure.” Incidentally, Plasmodium vivax is considered a milder strain of the disease and rarely causes death.
The Plasmodium falciparum strain is considered to be the more dangerous one. “We will have to verify what tests the hospital has carried out to arrive at the conclusion that it was a malaria-related infection,” Vaishali Jadhav, assistant medical officer of the Pune Municipal corporation (PMC), said.
The health department has recorded only four cases this year.
With the introduction of new interventions for case management and vector control, namely, rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), Artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT), long lasting insecticide nets (LLINs) and effective monitoring, the prevalence of the disease has been significantly limited over the years. “But every death due to malaria pushes back the elimination goal which the Maharashtra government plans to achieve by 2025,” a state health official stated.
Over 4,000 cases of malaria have been recorded in Maharashtra this year. “Over half of them are from the urban areas,” the official added.