No epidemic in cyclone-hit areas of TN, says Health Secretary

Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan Thursday said there was no outbreak of any communicable disease in the cyclone-hit areas of the state as was reported in the social media.

Speaking to reporters here, Radhakrishnan dismissed as rumours in the social media that brain fever and other types of communicable diseases were spreading in the affected areas.

"There is absolutely no truth in those messages and there is no reason to panic," he said.

Stating that all precautionarymeasures had been taken in the aftermath of the cyclone, Radhakrishnan said over 8.7 lakh people in the affected districts had been screened through nearly 30,000 special medical camps.

A total of 175 mobile medical teams, including six teams consisting of super-specialists in handling epidemics, was touring the areas affected by the cyclone, he said.

Over 3,000 personnel have been engaged in preventing water contamination, he said.

Special teams from the health department were creating awareness among the public on ways to prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases.