Thiruvananthapuram: Amid the growing concerns of contagious diseases in the state, one more person succumbed to dengue fever on Saturday. Kiran Babu (26) from Kallara died of the disease. Till date, 36 people have died of dengue in Kerala. 

In Thrissur, two people died of suspected rat fever (leptospirosis) on Saturday. Aneesha Sunil, a resident of Kuriachria and a person from West Bengal are the two people who died while undergoing treatment at Thrissur Government Medical College.

Meanwhile, contagious diseases have claimed 81 lives in Kerala since June. According to reports, over 12,900 people sought treatment for fever in various hospitals in the state on Friday.

The state has been witnessing a steep rise in the cases of flu, dengue fever, chikungunya, rat fever and H1N1. Along with these, numerous people are suffering from diarrhoeal diseases. Over 50,000 people sought treatment with symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting in various government hospitals in June.

The health department has advised the public to exercise extreme caution as more and more people are falling ill these days. It is learnt that the lapses in the waste management system led to the outbreak of contagious diseases this monsoon. Hospitals have turned into war zones as huge number of people are seeking medical care every day.