Andhra Pradesh intensifies disease surveillance amid malaria surge

The Andhra Pradesh government has intensified disease surveillance and preventive measures following heavy rainfall and a rise in communicable diseases. Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav has directed officials to implement an automated early warning system that triggers alerts across administrative levels whenever disease counts exceed predetermined thresholds.

Malaria cases in the state have increased by 27.9 percent, rising to 7,895 cases as of August 30, compared to 6,172 during the same period last year. The surge is particularly concentrated in tribal and agency areas, including Alluri Sitarama Raju, Polavaram, and Vizianagaram. In response, health officials are conducting indoor residual spraying and have begun distributing nearly 600,000 insecticidal mosquito nets.

Dengue cases have also seen a 4.6 percent increase, reaching 1,475 cases. Significant rises were noted in the YSR Kadapa and Chittoor districts. Additionally, the state has recorded 941 cases of scrub typhus, with notable increases in the Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam areas. Officials have been instructed to prioritize testing fever cases near forest regions and ensure the availability of necessary medicines.