An Epidemiological Investigation Report of Suspected Malarial Deaths in Two Blocks of District Garhwa, Jharkhand

Background: Health care problems faced by migrant construction workers are always neglected. Seventeen patients were death due to malaria and complain of fever attributed in daily newspaper. Objectives: To find out more number of cases, the source of infection and to recommend necessary actions to control the outbreak. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological investigation and verbal autopsy of suspected deaths was conducted on 9th and 10th August 2017 in Ramkanda and Bhandariya blocks respectively. Sanitary survey and assessment of ecological correlation was also done. Results: Out of 13 deaths most were in the village Ramakanda, followed by Kurumdari in Block Ramkaand while four deaths were from village Gadhiya from Block Bhandhariya is having an approximate population 72,637. In block Ramkanda, whereas in 6 days of August 2017 alone (including active surveillance), there were total 571 fever cases and Pf +ve and PV +ve were 42 and 25 respectively. So it’s obvious that in such a short period of time i.e. 6 days, there is remarkable high number of Falciparum malaria cases. In Bhandariya block after the deaths were not available but on desk review of the available reports it was seen that in the last six months out of 3881 slides collected and tested for Plasmodium presence there were 29 Pf +ve slides and 155 Pv +ve slides. Conclusion: On client interview it was evident that most of the residents were reluctant to seek health care services from the HSCS or to reach the government system facility. They were more reliant on Quacks.