At least 15 persons from Chidambaranathapuram and Karupputticherry in Thirupananthal union in Thanjavur district have been admitted to Government Hospital in Kumbakonam following viral fever, triggering panic among the villagers.

Sources said that four children namely Shalini (9), Shanmugarajan (10), Sebastin Raj (5) and Sivadarshini (9), all hailing from Chidambaranathapuram village, were suffering from viral fever and were treated at the primary health centre at Kattur village for the last one week. As they did not show any sign of improvement, they were admitted to the Government Hospital in Kumbakonam.

Likewise, Sangeetha (28), resident of Karupputticherry village, and her two sons Gopalakrishnan (8) and Balakrishnan (2) , all affected with viral fever, were admitted to the same hospital today.

District Collector A. Annadurai visited Chidambaranathapuram village and ordered the health department officials to take all precautionary measures in the affected villages. “The situation is not so alarming. A medical team has rushed to the village. Doctors have been instructed to screen all the villagers for viral fever and to give nilavembu drinks to all of them as precautionary measure. Blood samples of those running viral fever have been sent for clinical analysis,” Annadurai said.