Koraput, July 13: After Kashipur, Malaria has spread its tentacles in the Laxmipur block area of the Koraput district with 84 students from 18 schools suffering from fever caused by the mosquito-borne ailment for the last few days. 

The Health and Family Welfare Department has confirmed the infections. 

A medical team from Laxmpur Community Health Centre (CHC) collected blood samples from students and distributed medicines among them. The CHC also gets crowded with school students visiting in large numbers with malaria symptoms. 

Students who have a fever and whose blood samples test positive for malaria parasite have been admitted to the hospital. They will be discharged only after cure, said medical authorities. 

What has worried parents and school authorities is some malaria infection cases have been detected without symptoms. For this, parents are taking their wards to the hospital when they mark any symptoms. 

The health officials have advised school authorities to keep surroundings clean and students to use mosquito nets during sleep.