As yet another South West monsoon sweeps across Kerala, the State is left grappling with outbreaks of infectious diseases, especially dengue fever, which has become as annual a phenomenon as the monsoon itself.

Despite desperate bids by the Health department to avert a public health crisis, viral fever patients have been filling up the wards and observation rooms in almost all Government hospitals across the State. While much of the fever cases crowding the hospitals have been seasonal viral fever, often accompanied by a secondary bacterial infection affecting the chest, there is no denying the fact that dengue fever numbers are growing larger every year.“Dengue has become so well-established in the State now that in every outbreak, at least three panchayats are involved. This is a recent phenomenon that we have had to reckon with and quite worrying because it indicates fast local transmission of the infection,” a senior public health personnel said.The State has been bearing the brunt of Chikungunya outbreaks consecutively for the past four years during which time almost all districts were affected. This year, though there are scattered cases from all districts, outbreaks should be expected from Wayanad and Malappuram, which have so far remained relatively unaffected, Health officials said.