Unidentified fleas discovered

OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR, April 27:  Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner (In-Charge) Nawab Al Azhar Ali has directed the District Health Department to take all possible steps to prevent any further health hazards that can be created by the discovery of an unidentified species of fleas in several villages of the Dikhowmukh area, 20 kilometres from here.

It may be mentioned here that an unknown species of fleas, yellow in colour with black spots on wings and larger than the commonly found fleas, have bitten and ‘infected’ large number of people in these villages, causing irritation and burning sensation in the skin. A team of specialists from the Indian Council of Medical Research, Dibrugarh centre, has visited these areas recently and collected samples of the fleas, but reports of its identification are yet to be arrived. The specialists, however, said there is no reason to panic as these fleas are not infectious. The DC (In-Charge) instructed the Joint Director, Health to organise awareness camps in the area and take all preventive measures. The District Health Department has started distributing nets among the people in the affected areas.