Udupi : District Malaria Control Officer Prashanth Bhat said on Thursday that cases of malaria in Udupi district were showing a declining trend since 2012 due to the public awareness activities taken up by the Department of Health.

Addressing presspersons here after the inauguration of World Malaria Day function, Dr. Bhat said that the Department of Health had managed to reduce cases of malaria to just 221, where as in 2012, the district had recorded 2,217. Udupi and Dakshina Kannada had the highest number of malaria cases in the State.

In Udupi district, among the three taluks of Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala, Udupi recorded the highest number of malaria cases — 235 in 2018. Of these 235 cases, 152 were recorded in the urban areas of the taluk, while 83 were recorded in the rural areas.

The major reason for high incidence of malaria in Udupi district was the large number of construction activities being taken up. Water was kept stagnant for curing buildings.

There was high incidence of malaria cases among migrant workers.

Testing for malaria and treatment was provided free in all government healthcare units.

But it was essential that people took precautionary measures to prevent the spread of malaria, he said.

It was essential that people covered all drums and tanks with water or they should remove water from them and clean them and then again store water in them.

People should take precaution to see that water was not stagnant in used tender coconut shells, tyres, bottles and other material. People should rear guppy and gambusia fish in their wells. They could contact the nearest health assistants for getting these fish.

If anyone in the house had fever, they should be immediately taken to the nearest government hospital or health centre. The elderly and children should use insecticide-treated mosquito nets while sleeping.

Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.

The symptoms of malaria include fever, cough, headache, chills and shivers, body ache, sweating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, Dr. Bhat said.