The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on August 31 said cases of leptospirosis, acute diarrhea and dengue are rising in flood-hit Kerala and that the Centre is closely monitoring the situation.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda along with other ministry officials reviewed flood relief measures and said the Centre is coordinating with the state. According to the ministry, the Centre will be sending 30 specialist doctors, 20 general duty medical officers and 40 Malayalam-speaking nurses who will be arriving in Kerala on August 31.

"Also, 12 public health teams, each comprising one public health specialist, a microbiologist and one entomologist are being deployed to assist the state health department in various public health measures," it said. The Centre has so far supplied 73 MT of essential emergency drugs. "As per the additional request received from Kerala, 58 items of essential drugs/consumables weighing about 120 MT, and 40 ultra low volume (ULV) fogging machines are also being sent to the state," the Ministry said.

A.P. Suganan, an expert from the Indian Council of Medical Research called in following the floods in Kerala, told reporters here that as a matter of caution, all those who came in contact with flood waters -- including those engaged in rescue operations -- should take the preventive treatment.

"There is no vaccine for this, instead everyone should take doxycycline once weekly for six weeks," said Suganan. According to him and the Kerala health officials, around two million people in the state would have come in contact with the flood waters and hence all of them should take the preventive action.

Health experts have pointed out that so far 15 deaths have been reported, of which two were confirmed cases of leptospirosis. "The need of the hour is that anyone, who shows symptoms or has fever, should take medical help," said Suganan.

The health authorities have assured that there is adequate stock of all medicines. "As on date, if we look at the figures of people suffering from fever and other communicable diseases, the number is much less than what it was the same time last year. There's no need to worry at all," said a top state government official.