AGARTALA, August 17 (TIWN): The malaria outbreak today returned with the death of a three year old kid at Longtraivalley sub-division, official sources said. A highly placed source in the Department of Health and Family Welfare today said that Khagen Mohan Tripura (3), son of Dari Mohan Tripura of Manikpur village under Dhalai district died at Chailgnta sub-divisional hospital on Sunday, official sources said.

Khagen was under treatment at the hospital, family members said. Medical Officials on duty at the hospital said that the patient was admitted late with grave medical conditions. “If the patient had come under institutional treatment in time, the catastrophe could have been avoided”, a doctor said.

The doctor further said that most malaria patients came to the hospitals after much damage was already done. This was primarily due to prejudices, he said. Overall malaria infection rate, however, came down today with 157 patients freshly infected with the parasite. Out of 673 patients who called in sick at hospitals and healthcare centers across the state, they were found to have contacted malaria during blood tests.

Total figures of malaria infected patients since initial outbreak of the disease today crossed 48 thousand 623. An official communiqué from the Department of Health and Family Welfare said later today that nobody was found to have been infected with dengue or Japanese encephalitis from anywhere in the state.